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North Bend officials weigh removal of unsafe Oak Street Park playground after repeated vandalism
Summary
City staff told the council the Oak Street Park playground has been closed for safety reasons after repeated damage; replacement would cost at least tens of thousands and there is no budgeted funding, so staff recommended removal or reimagining the space unless funding is secured.
At a July 21 North Bend City Council work session, the parks and facilities manager told councilors that the Oak Street Park playground has been closed "until we make a determination as to what to do with it" after repeated vandalism and safety failures.
The parks and facilities manager said the slide has been torn off the structure three times — a single slide module is approximately a $6,000 item — and that a trolley/zip-line safety feature and several platform boards are broken or rotted. "So right now, it's roped all the way off and there are signs on it saying that it's not safe to play on and closed until we make a determination as to what to do with it," the manager said.
City staff outlined three options: attempt repairs, replace the play structure with a new certified system, or remove the structure and reimagine the space for passive recreation. Staff said original manufacturer's…
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