There are only two parks in Seattle’s Greenwood neighborhood.

Although resident Leah Rivers lives a block from Sandel Park on First Avenue Northwest and Northwest 90th Street, she usually totes her two kids five blocks to Greenwood Park, with its quirky silver climbing structures and spinning merry-go-round.

That’s going to change when Sandel Park gets a facelift later this year.

At the March 27 open house, curious park-goers peeked at design templates drawn up by Karen Keist Landscape Architects, tweaked over the past few months as residents proposed suggestions.

“I’m really excited to have a place where our kids can spread out and play,” Rivers said. “It’ll be great to have it basically in our backyard.”

Most were pleased with the plans for the renovation, which will modify the playgrounds with new equipment, primarily geared toward younger children, improve visibility and enhance safety.

There’s just not much to do at the park in its current state, said Friends of Sandel Park chair Julie Gwinn.

“It doesn’t have much play value,” Gwinn said. “Kids can just walk up a ramp and jump off.”

Add in an expansive meadow, some picnic tables and a bathroom, and that’s about all the 3.7-acre Sandel Park has to offer. It was time for a change, residents said.

Renovation was slated to begin in 2002 after a plan was drafted, but it never progressed.

Residents said they hope the renovation will strengthen the Greenwood community and change the type of traffic the park draws, trimming illicit drug activity that occurs after dusk.

King County Councilmember Larry Phillips, who stopped by the open house, said increased traffic will hopefully make the park safer.

“When parks are inviting and really used by the public, you end up discouraging criminal behavior,” Phillips said.

Greenwood residents said they want this to be a place where they can host concerts, community-group meetings and intramural activities, as well as chasing their children and enjoying rare Seattle sunshine.

Project manager Kelly Davidson said they’ll dive into finishing construction documents and, ideally, break ground in late spring.

“The improvements are going to make this a spot where people feel safe,” Phillips said. “The next step is to build it, cut the ribbon and open it.”