Green Bay Parks committee recommends removing playground at St. John’s Park after years of decline and safety concerns

The Green Bay Parks Committee voted April 9 to remove the playground equipment at St. John’s Park and directed staff to develop a future plan for the site, citing low use and ongoing maintenance costs.

The committee’s Parks Director said the playground was installed in 1994 and is “over 30 years old,” and noted the department usually replaces playgrounds on a roughly 30-year cycle. The director told the committee the site is one of the oldest in the city’s system of more than 50 playgrounds and that routine maintenance — including replenishing wood chips as a safety surface — would cost an estimated $2,000 to $3,000 if the city kept the equipment in place this year.

Why it matters: Committee members and several residents framed the decision as a trade-off between short-term maintenance spending on equipment that appears underused and longer-term neighborhood safety and access. Public commenters urged alternatives, including replacement at a nearby park, conversion to other amenities, or investment to make the park more welcoming.

Committee discussion and public comment focused on three facts the director presented: the playground’s age (installed 1994), an observed and reported decline in on-site child use, and recurring maintenance obligations. The director said staff have not seen children playing at the playground “in a number of years,” and that the park formerly hosted a summer “parkie” program that ended about a decade ago — a change that reduced weekday activity at the site.

More than a dozen residents, nearby property owners and service providers spoke during public comment. Some neighbors and business owners described ongoing drug use, discarded needles and other safety issues in the park; others urged preserving playground equipment or replacing it to encourage family use. David Badillo, who identified himself as a resident, said removing playground equipment could send “a message to the neighborhood that people with families [are] not welcome.” By contrast, several neighbors including Bill Galvin and Mark Bergland said the composition of the neighborhood has changed and nearby parks and a school playground provide alternatives.

Committee members repeatedly clarified that the action before them applied only to playground equipment, not to the park land itself. The director told the committee the property is subject to a deed restriction that designates the site as park land “in perpetuity.” The committee’s motion approves removal of the playground equipment and adds a referral directing staff to develop a future-use plan for the site (examples discussed included a dog park, exercise equipment or a naturalized green space) and to return with budget and implementation options.

The committee recorded no roll-call vote in the transcript; members voted by voice. The motion to remove the equipment carried, and an amendment to refer staff to create a future plan also carried.

What happens next: The committee’s recommendation will be forwarded to the full Common Council for final approval at its next meeting. Any expenditure to remove or replace equipment, or to implement a new use, would return to the committee and appear in future budget discussions.

Ending: Committee members and many commenters said the decision does not resolve broader issues raised during the discussion, including homelessness, public safety and neighborhood services. The Parks Director and aldermen noted those are separate policy problems that require coordinated responses from multiple city and county agencies; the removal vote applies only to the playground equipment at St. John’s Park.