Clearfield’s All-Abilities Playground Is Under Construction — A $1.05 Million Rebuild of the Community Garden Site
Construction fencing is up at Clearfield’s community garden site, and behind it the city is building something Davis County does not have many of: a playground designed so that children of all abilities can use nearly all of it.
City records lay out how the project got here. In January, the Parks & Recreation Commission heard a plan to convert the community garden area into an all-abilities playground as part of Clearfield’s America 250 programming. Staff described a concept roughly 85 to 90 percent wheelchair accessible, with sensory play elements and a quiet area set aside for children who need a break from the noise. The design keeps a garden theme — including garden-themed climbing features — so the playground reads as an extension of the community garden next door rather than a replacement for it.
The commission signed off in February, the design was still being refined in March, and by summer the money was in place. Clearfield’s fiscal year 2027 budget carries a $1,050,000 line for the all-abilities park, funded entirely by park impact fees — the fees new development pays to cover the parks and services growth demands. The City Council also amended the prior year’s budget in June to release impact fee dollars early so crews could break ground before FY27 began.
One more piece fell into place in July, when the council took up a parking agreement covering stalls next to the new playground, along the driveway that connects the South Clearfield Elementary parking lot and the Fisher Park lot. Parking and drop-off access were flagged early as accessibility issues, not afterthoughts.
What residents should know right now
The site is an active construction zone. Clearfield City has asked residents to stay outside the fenced area — structures are only partly built and are not safe to climb on, however finished they may look from the sidewalk. The city has not announced an opening date.
For families who have driven to Farmington or Salt Lake County to find a playground a child with a wheelchair, a walker, or sensory needs can actually use, this one is worth watching. More Clearfield parks and trails are listed on our Clearfield city guide, and city events are on the Clearfield events page.
Details come from Clearfield City’s public meeting records, including Parks & Recreation Commission minutes and adopted budget documents. Project scope, funding, and timing are set by the city and can change — confirm current details on the Clearfield City website.
