BOUNTIFUL—It’s been almost three decades since some of the playground equipment in Bountiful’s Eggett Park was installed, and in that time, there’s been a lot of wear and tear. Now, the park is getting a makeover.

City council has approved the purchase and installation of new equipment from Sonntag Recreation for $44,800, thanks to the city’s RAP (Recreation, Arts and Parks) tax funds.

Brock Hill, the city’s Parks Director, said bids were received from four companies, and Sonntag’s proposal was chosen due to “availability, quality, type of equipment and quantity of equipment.” He said the company guaranteed they could install the new equipment this year.

“After 28 years, some basic replacement parts are hard to find,” he told the council. “Some of the protective safety coating and paint have been cracking and peeling, and some of the joints on the slide are sun rotted.”

The new equipment, shown in the artist rendering with this story, is on order and should arrive shortly for installation.

Eggett Park is located at 1600 East Barton Creek Lane. After the floods of 1983, a landfill bridge was built to the east of the creek and the Eggett family donated three acres to the city for the park while the rest was reserved for subdivision. 

Aaron and Sarah Smethurst homesteaded 160 acres on this site in 1895. John and Mary Eggett bought the early pioneer farm for $400 in 1902 and raised nine children there. Farm animals, orchards, and a garden provided most of their needs. The Eggett family held all the property until 1959, when part of it became Memorial Estates Cemetery (historic information from JacobBarlow.com).