In hopes the Dan Porter Park in Clinton will attract more families, the Island County Parks Department will jazz up the playground to the tune of about $31,000 this spring.

According to Lee McFarland, superintendent of the Island County Parks Department, the playground facelift will include new play equipment, new surface material, new curbing to contain the equipment and a drainage system underneath the playground.

He said the park, which is located up a shady drive off Deer Lake Road, will get more use when families learn about the upgraded playground.

Currently the park has a few swings, a slide and a climbing structure. McFarland said his department will incorporate the old equipment into the new design.

The park has gotten a fair amount of sprucing up recently. Approximately three years ago, the park received a new ballpark. This spring, the park got new aluminum bleachers to replace the old, wooden ones.

In addition, the county recently put down new pavement on the road into the park and in its parking lot.

“It was Dan Porter Park’s turn,” McFarland said.

The new playground equipment is on order and should be installed in July, McFarland said. The playground in the park will close for two to three weeks for the installation.

The $31,000 for the equipment comes out of the park department’s capital budget, according to McFarland. The curbing, surface material and labor required for the project will be paid out of the same fund.

The parks department maintains 40 parks facilities between Whidbey and Camano islands. The other South Whidbey park receiving attention this year is Dave Mackie Park at Maxwelton Beach. The Port of South Whidbey and the parks department worked together on paving parking lots at the park, upgrading restrooms, and smoothing the outfield of the baseball diamond.