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In an e-mail to PTA members, David Bennett, a Fairfax schools facilities management employee, explained the rationale for removing the equipment.

“As for allowing the equipment at Stratford Landing, it would be setting a new standard,” Bennett wrote. “How could we deny another school or PTA the same playground equipment if we allowed it at [Stratford Landing]?”
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Meaning that this isn’t so much an “immediate health and safety” hazard, as it is a “respect mah authoritah!” moment. Correcting the decision that everyone agrees was bad just sets up a precedent that the regulators can make bad decisions, meaning that every decision now has to be justified. If the system is infallible, then its actions need no justification; therefore, the system must be infallible, whatever it takes for that to be true.

And, also,

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Storck said he has been unable to determine whether the school system has written regulations regarding playground construction.
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Which is a good answer to everyone who thinks that “common sense” ought to have leeway over regulatory activity. Because it’s entirely possible that the investigator look at the thing, said “some kid’s gonna fall off that and get hurt! We should get rid of it That’s just common sense.“

The facilities department says the new equipment must go. But to make amends, Fairfax is offering to revamp the Stratford Landing playground, using about $135,000 from the county’s coffers.

So let me get this straight….. the school facilities department screws up in approving what is now deemed to be too dangerous and they want to make up for it by spending $135,000 of tax payers money after already wasting $35,000 of the money the PTA raised.

Not it a perfect world. In that world, the people that gave the go ahead at every step of the approval process would have to refund the money to the PTA and remove the “offending” structure. This isn’t a taxpayer mistake and taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay for it.

Take it out of the Facilities people’s salaries.

Bob