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Hinsdale moves forward on $200,000 Dietz Park playground replacement after neighborhood input
Summary
Village staff outlined a $200,000 plan to replace aging equipment at Dietz Park and sought neighborhood feedback on age-appropriate features, colors, accessibility and procurement timing; staff said ordering must proceed now to meet installation timelines while the master plan proceeds in parallel.
Staff presented a plan to replace the Dietz Park playground, describing the park as one of Hinsdale's oldest neighborhood playgrounds and confirming a $200,000 allocation in the village's capital improvement program for equipment replacement within the park's existing footprint. Staff said the village is working through a joint-purchasing agreement with Cunningham/GameTime and emphasized the presentation showed color and theme options, not final design.
The presentation, given by Parks staff, noted several worn or vandalized components and explained that modern safety and fall-zone spacing requirements will affect how much equipment can fit in the current square. "For the purposes of this allocated funding of $200,000, we're talking the current footprint," staff said; staff added that new wood-fiber mulch and drainage tile are planned to address soggy conditions after heavy rains.
Residents urged the commission to preserve the park's character and to provide elements that serve a range of ages. McKenna Milkey, a neighbor, said her children and others use the park as a backyard and asked for features that "challenge the bigger kids but still keep the little kids safe." A child who identified himself as Charlie told commissioners he and his friends would like space suitable for Nerf-style play and parkour elements. Another commenter described the site as the community's "Hippo Park" with longstanding neighborhood identity.
On materials and color, several neighbors favored lighter hues to reduce heat on slides and noted that red-and-blue themes tend to fade or dirt easily. Staff said vendors provide several color palettes and that renderings can show alternative, lighter choices. On the procurement question, one attendee suggested soliciting multiple bids; staff replied the joint-purchasing arrangement lets the village use competitively procured, plug-and-play catalog items to speed ordering and take advantage of vendor matching programs.
Staff said the playground procurement must move forward now to meet vendor lead times for spring installation, while the village master-plan consultant continues work on a broader parks strategy. "We will be moving forward in parallel with our consultant for the comprehensive plan," staff said, noting the consultant's work may inform bigger decisions but will not delay ordering equipment needed to meet construction windows.
The commission asked staff to incorporate tonight's neighborhood feedback into forthcoming renderings and to evaluate any alternate vendor proposals residents submit. Next steps are for staff to develop concept renderings with the vendor and to share them for additional local feedback before final selections and ordering.
The commission did not take a formal vote on the playground design at the meeting; commissioners indicated support for proceeding with design renderings and community review.
