October 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 52

BRENTWOOD PARK
Brentwood Bound
Brentwood has long dealt with
flooding issues along Deer Creek
that have at times crippled
the
community and caused significant
challenges for its members. With
nearly 30 flooding events in the
past 60 years, it was clear to City of
Brentwood that the current flood
mitigation system could not handle
the influx of water during heavy
rain.
Through
public
surveying
and community engagement, the
city developed and approved the
Brentwood Bound Plan to overcome
some of the community's
long-term challenges. Brentwood
Park purposefully encompasses a
large section of Deer Creek to help
alleviate the frequent widespread
flooding and additionally provide
more opportunities in the area for
local businesses.
Changing the Flow
of History
Brentwood Park sits on land with
a long history. What started as a
quarry in the late 1800s developed
into an industrial area in the 1970s.
However, this area had one critical
issue - its location directly on
the Deer Creek Watershed. Flooding
occurred almost annually, with
the flood of 1903 bringing massive
amounts of rain to the area. Since
that time, the nearly 37-square-mile
watershed area upstream has fully
developed, increasing the number
of impervious areas - primarily
buildings and pavement - and the
rate
at which stormwater
runoff
reaches Deer Creek. The flood mitigation
component of Brentwood
Bound includes improvements to
Deer Creek that help create more
flow capacity along the creek to
ease frequent flooding.
In July and August of 2022, historic
rain and flooding hit the St. Louis
region and put Brentwood Park to
the test. Even with the park only
partially constructed to date, this remarkable
engineering feat prevented
thousands of gallons of water from
flooding the surrounding community.
Today, the completed Brentwood
Park has already withstood multiple
heavy rainstorms and prevented
several potential flooding incidents.
Thanks to the Deer Creek flood mitigation
efforts, about 30 more acres
of land will now be protected from
flooding.
A Fun Solution for All
The Brentwood Board of Aldermen
approved the $5 million playground
design on February 7, 2022, with
additional updates and a $2.5 million
increase in the project budget
in July 2022. SWT Design, a local
landscaping and architectural design
firm, was contracted to take
on the challenge of adding an enormous
playground to Brentwood's
newest park. Not only is Brentwood
Park a practical solution to
help tackle local flooding problems,
but Brentwood Park's destination
playground is
also an expansive
ADA-accessible play space designed
to have something for everyone. The
destination playground has roller
slides designed to eliminate static
electricity while sliding and allow
children with cochlear implants to
play without interference. Inclusive
swings, with one harnessed swing,
provide a safe and secure swinging
experience. A merry-go-round with
a secured fastening spot for wheelchair
users adds another layer of inclusivity.
Both playground climbing
structures have low access points
that make it possible to lift someone
easily onto them.
SWT was intentional with its
design choices for the destination
playground, offering a variety of
different sensory experiences for
children
to enjoy through light,
color, touch and sound play. From
the different textural play surfaces
to the colorful glass panels in the
Among many amenities, Brentwood
Park features a spacious amphitheater
for community members to enjoy.
52 Parks & Recreation | O CTOBER 2 0 2 4 | PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G
PHOTO COURTESY OF SOPHIE SPAID, CITY OF BRENTWOOD, MISSOURI
October 2024 – Parks & Recreation

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