Missing piece delays opening; City hopes to unveil area to public during National Night Out in August
While it might be tempting for kids to put the new playground in Central Park to the test, residents are being asked to stay on the other side of the fence that is currently surrounding the new equipment.
Dozens of volunteers, including City employees, worked long days all week last week to install the myriad features of the playground. However, a slide feature was missing, and won’t be delivered for about a week from now (it was expected to ship from Alabama on Tuesday). The wood chips that make up the surface of the area were also delayed but are expected to be delivered this week.
“It’s not really safe to open until we get (the slide) in,” said Public Works Director Shane Daniels, who noted that not having the slide in place leaves holes in the ground. “All the supports were missing, the hoods. There’s 16-foot platforms without rails on them right now, so we need to keep people out. When the slide gets here, we’ll get those issues taken care of. Until that gets here, it’s dangerous to be on.”
Daniels said until the wood chips get put in for the landing, there is no fall protection.
Besides the snow fence that surrounds the playground, a number of signs have been posted, telling people to stay out of the area. Cameras have also been installed and are recording.
The City will not have to pay for the additional shipping, Daniels said. The City is, however, on the hook for paying a supervisor to oversee the project; he was onsite for three-and-ahalf days. That cost was budgeted for.
“There’s going to be a meeting with the company — we had found some things and took some pictures and did our due diligence to make sure everything went off like it’s supposed to,” City Administrator Jeff Carpenter said. “There were some concerns (and) we will address those as we go along.”
Daniels said the goal is to be able to open the playground to the public during National Night Out on Aug. 5.
“It’s a special park right now,” Carpenter said. “A number of kids came through there and just sat there and stared.”
The Park Board was scheduled to meet with the City on Wednesday afternoon to discuss any issues that arose, as well as talk about the planned sidewalk perimeter. That will be designed to keep the wood chips inside the playground area.
The old playground equipment in the park will be removed sometime this fall after Labor Day.
“I don’t really want to rip the park apart; there will be some big holes there when we take stuff out,” Daniels said. “And we’ll have more time this fall.”
The council recognized and accepted donations for meals that were provided to workers and a ribbon-cutting event from Minnwest Bank, Darcy Carlson, the Tracy Kiwanis Club and Ron McDaniel.
In other business Monday …
• Daniels said he has received one quote for a one-and-a-half inch overlay for the bike path. Work to improve the path should begin yet this summer.
• The council approved a sealcoating bid from Pearson Brothers at $1.97 per square yard for an area that includes Front St., the Phase 3A-1 project area and Green Lane.
