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Greendale board directs staff to advance JC Park playground replacement after community favors Lee Recreation
Summary
The Greendale School District board directed staff to pursue formal approval of a JC Park playground replacement after administrators reported 536 survey responses, 61.6% favoring Lee Recreation and a significant cost increase driven by ADA rubber surfacing.
Administrators presented the JC Park playground replacement project and asked the board whether to proceed toward formal approval. Mr. Mitchell said the existing playground was installed in 1998 and that community engagement and the park and recreation ad hoc committee narrowed five proposals to two finalists. "We had 536 surveys that came back" and "61.6% of those that voted preferred the proposal that was from Lee Recreation," Mr. Mitchell said.
Why it matters: the playground is a community asset managed by the district (Fund 80) and administrators told the board that choosing rubber surfacing to meet ADA accessibility needs was driving much of the increase from the original budgeted $175,000. Administration emphasized long‑term value for universal access and potential cost efficiencies by coordinating installation with the village on concurrent park projects.
Details: administrators explained the procurement and outreach process — vendor solicitations, ad hoc committee review, community surveys and outreach through PTOs, social media and village channels. The presentation called out accessibility as a priority: "there'll be ADA access from the entrance point, from the sidewalk," and the recommended design includes rubber surfacing instead of wood chips or mulch.
Funding and schedule: administration said some money has been raised over several years for park and recreation and that remaining funds are in Fund 80, which can only be used for community services. Mr. Mitchell said vendors estimate installation could be done within days once started and that the team is targeting spring 2025 for construction while coordinating with village timing. The board was told the vendor extended a quoted sale price to accommodate the board discussion.
Board response and next steps: board members asked clarifying questions about sidewalk routing, ADA access, whether the village would contribute, and the number of survey respondents. After discussion, the board gave staff direction to "move forward in anticipation of bringing this forward for formal approval in 2 weeks," administration said. Staff will return with formal contract and final pricing for a vote.
Ending: the item will return to the board for a formal contract approval vote at the next meeting; staff indicated a likely spring 2025 installation window if approved.
