GARDEN CITY, Idaho — Replacing the playground equipment damaged in an arson at Pamela Beaumont Park will likely cost about $78,000, according to Garden City officials.
“I was probably like everybody else that found out — a little shocked,” Garden City Public Works Director Colin Schmidt said of the November fire, which destroyed part of the popular playground.
WATCH: Neighborhood Reporter Brady Caskey discovers how Garden City will pay for repairs to a playground damaged in act of arson
He described the incident as the most extreme example of vandalism they've seen at any of Garden City's parks.
“The 2 to 5 area is the part that was burned down, so it’s the small children that won’t be able to play there for a while,” Schmidt said.
The playground’s surface was replaced just last year. Now, fences and police tape block off the charred section, while the rest of Pamela Beaumont Park remains open.
“We got a lot of local folks that use it but primarily Boys & Girls Club and the Future School use that — pretty much year-round,” Schmidt said.
Garden City’s insurance will cover the replacement costs, meaning taxpayers will not foot the roughly $78,000 bill the city was recently quoted for the project.
“It’s quite an expense,” Schmidt added.
Garden City police arrested two juvenile males in connection with the fire. Both have been booked into the Ada County Juvenile Detention Center and face felony charges of arson and aiding in a felony.
The damaged portion of the playground is expected to be replaced and reopened by mid-summer 2026.
