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Parks and Rec pushes council for funds to replace Mackle Park playground, address unsafe soccer fields
Summary
Committee members described peeling paint, rusty nails, mold and drainage problems at Mackle Park’s playground and said the adjacent fields have potholes and sinkholes that have caused player injuries; staff and residents urged a council funding request estimated at about $2 million.
Chair Dolores addressed the committee and presented photos she said show significant deterioration at Mackle Park’s playground, including peeling paint, bowed planks, protruding rusty nails and areas of mold. She said the playground ‘‘is beyond repair’’ and recommended asking the City Council for money to replace it.
The request is intended to produce a long-lasting replacement. ‘‘We are no longer doing the $29 playground that we did when our children were little,’’ Dolores said, and added the committee’s current estimate for a full replacement is ‘‘in the neighborhood of $2,000,000’’ to deliver equipment expected to last 20–25 years.
Why it matters: committee members and park users said the playground’s condition raises safety concerns for toddlers and visiting grandchildren and that ongoing drainage problems have repeatedly forced temporary closures. Facilities staff said parts for the existing 2004 installation are hard to source and that the city has been doing patchwork; the staff asked the committee to balance upfront construction choices with long-term maintenance capacity.
Coach Matt, a committee member and youth coach, told the committee the adjacent soccer fields also pose safety risks. ‘‘I firsthand saw one of our athletes…she tore her ACL,’’ he said, describing a player who slipped on an uneven, wet patch. Committee members flagged potholes, sand-filled divots and persistent wet areas that prevent reliable lining of fields and increase risk for players.
City staff and committee members discussed options to reduce lifetime maintenance, including nonwood surfacing and more durable playground systems that require less frequent upkeep. Staff pointed to a master plan completed three years earlier in which residents ranked maintenance of existing parks as the top priority; several members urged that any capital request include a clear maintenance plan and realistic operating budget.
Resident Jane Hanson, who identified herself as a grandparent and participant in the master-plan process, urged the committee to follow that plan and said some parents are already avoiding the playground because of safety and perceived rodent issues.
Next steps: the committee plans to present the proposed funding items for Mackle Park (playground and field improvements) to City Council on June 15 and asked staff to assemble cost estimates and replacement options. The committee also discussed complementary efforts such as tree-planting and shade improvements funded through other programs.
The Parks and Recreation Committee emphasized that the replacement should be durable and supported by a clear maintenance commitment before work begins.
