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City delays slide opening at Fieldhouse Park pending safety improvements
Summary
Staff told the committee the play structure at Fieldhouse Park is open except for a slide the city considers too steep; the city will add gates, slope adjustments and climbing elements before opening the slide, targeting completion before summer.
The Municipal Facilities Committee heard that Fieldhouse Park’s play structure is structurally complete and open to the public except for one slide that staff called too steep for safe public use.
Why it matters: city staff and the public-health-minded members of the committee said they would not open the slide until additional safety modifications are installed, even though the slide met state inspection requirements.
Public Works leadership described the park status and staff concerns. The public works director said the playground “meets the legal requirements to open it” but also said staff feel it is too steep and proposed adding gates and grading adjustments before opening the slide to the public. He said additional features under consideration include a tow-rope climb and rock-climb elements; staff expect to complete the work before summer.
Committee members asked whether liability or insurance concerns factored into the decision. The public works director said he discussed the issue with the city attorney and city manager; although the state inspector signed off, the city attorney and city manager concurred with staff’s caution. “I’m gonna put on my public works director and father hat and disagree with the state on this one,” he said, adding the city would make adjustments and aim to have the slide ready by June.
The rest of the park is open; staff said the slide will remain closed until the additional safety work is completed and priced.
