Debbie Burns•3 years ago Overall I think this proposal is spot on for getting more use out of this amazing park that we have! Living just a few blocks away with kids who attend the elementary school, we visit the park almost daily in the warmer months, end even in the winter months on a mild day.The splash pad has been a dream of mine in that exact location for 7 years! The one in Betty Little Arts park attracts many families which shows the need for this in a safer location for families and young children.The extension of the paved walking path is wonderful as I see elder community members navigating the current paths daily as well as many on bikes, scooters and with strollers. Are the current paths that are deteriorating going to be repaved when these updates are made? A number of sections pose a safety concern with cracked and damaged pavement.Thank you for removing the small playground by the road and making a larger/multiple option play structure on the other side. It's often challenging for toddlers to play among bigger kids without getting run over and with there only being on structure to play on, this was a challenge.Please consider removing the crab apple tree next to the playground! This sheds seasonally and leaves hundreds of crab apples along the playground floor, posing a safety concern for guests.Thank you for putting a fence/barrier along the parking lot to the playground structure. While I don't have experience with my own kids being runners in these locations, I've spoken to many parents and grandparents that won't take their kids to this playground because of the proximity to the roadways and the risk that puts their children in. Please consider fencing this in completely to ensure safety (which can also ease stress of caregivers).Are there going to be traditional swings at the park still? I love the addition of inclusive swings but to have those as the only options, that would take away of their inclusivity. The current swings of one bucket swing for babies, and belt swings for bigger kids often isn't enough on busy days. I'd recommend (again, based on experience of many hours at this park), two baby bucket swings and four regular, belt swings.Is proper drainage going to be addressed with the upgrade of the park? The whole playground area is in a low spot and under the swings especially retains a lot of water, even after a mild rain, making them unusable unless kids show up with rain boots on. I'd love to see the football stadium have the chain and padlock removed so that it can be used by guests. I'm sure the concern is with having people use it for their dogs but I hope guests could respect signage for proper usage of the area for all, especially with an upgraded dog park space.Upgrading the bathrooms with rentable space is amazing! Many would love to have an option for birthday parties and this would be perfect for that. Perhaps instead of a bandshell, what about a large outdoor pavilion that can also be rented for party use, similar to the one at Point Au Roche Beach? The addition of a full sized basketball court is much needed! So excited about that.I'd also love to see the chain and padlock removed from the skate park entrance that is closest to the playground. Replacing that with a simple latch seems like a much safer solution for kids who go back and forth between the two. I had a safety incident with my toddler who was able to crawl under the fence and take off running to the playground/parking lot while I was stuck having to go all the way around the fence to try to catch him. Lastly, as I'm sure many residents are concerned, where does the City stand on reinstating a Parks and Recreation department to ensure maintenance of these new parks? We've seen how quickly the parks have declined with the loss of this department and would hate to see history repeat itself, especially after making such a vast improvementThank you for making this available for public comment and input! Truly the right step forward for our city.
