Bainbridge Playground Committee Creates Location Quandary
While playgrounds are generally considered to be pleasant additions to public parks, the question of where to locate them has become a heated issue in Bainbridge Township
While playgrounds are generally considered to be pleasant additions to public parks, the question of where to locate them has become a heated issue in Bainbridge Township
“We had a bit of a hiccup,” Bainbridge Township Playground Advisory Committee member Julie Schaden said during an update at the Nov. 25 trustees meeting.
Schaden said when members of the volunteer committee met with members of the Bainbridge Civic Club to discuss their plans to raise money for rebuilding the playground at River Road Park, they were surprised to discover strong opposition from some of the members.
“There was a bit of a divide there, between people who want the playground at River Road and those who want it at Settlers’ Park,” she told trustees.
The township has four main parks: Settlers’ Park, the oldest; River Road Park, adjacent to the Canyon Lakes development; Centerville Mills Park, at the southern edge of the township; and Heritage Park, in the township’s central campus.
Members of the civic club helped with the planning and building of Settlers’ Park decades ago, including constructing a playground. Several years ago, the aging wooden playground was deemed unsafe and removed.
Trustees, at that time, decided there was no need to replace the equipment.
In August, trustees ruled the playground at busy River Road Park, built less than 20 years ago, was also unsafe and had it removed, leaving the township parks with no playgrounds. The move met with public outcry and a group of parents, many of whom live in Canyon Lakes, attended an August trustees meeting and volunteered to form a committee to raise funds and rebuild the playground.
Trustees gave the group their blessing and told them the township may be able to set aside about half of the estimated $200,000 cost, but the committee would need to raise the rest.
At that meeting, some residents questioned why there would be only one playground, when there was a need for equipment at the three other parks as well. Trustee Kristina O’Brien, who serves as liaison with the playground committee, said she would like to see playground equipment at all the parks eventually, but the committee would need to concentrate their efforts at River Road first.
“We unanimously decided to focus on one park first and decided we could get the best value at River Road,” committee member Jayaprakash Ayyappan told trustees Nov. 25. “Right now, we want to focus on getting the equipment back at River Road Park.”
Schaden added, “It was the last place (the township) had playground equipment. We’re a small committee and only so many hands to do the work.”
Ayyappan told trustees members of the civic club are invited to join the playground committee and their help would be welcome.
O’Brien said she completely agrees with the need for playgrounds at all four parks, but the money isn’t available for all four at this point.
“Let’s start somewhere, with one,” O’Brien said. She estimated the cost for one playground would be $150,000 to $200,000.
“That’s not in the budget, not at all,” she said.
“We can set aside $80,000 to $100,000,” Trustee Jeff Markley said. “Beyond that, (the committee) can do fundraising. We may have more for Settlers’ Park in the next budget (2021). It’s been vacant four years now. Right now, we have $100,000 and a committee with a very active fundraising campaign.”
Markley said the township could budget more funds gradually, over the next several years, to add playground equipment at Settlers’ Park, then Centerville Mills, then Heritage Park, if needed.
“So the timing for River Road is still on target,” Trustee Lorrie Sass Benza said. “The next step is to get quotes.”
O’Brien said that playground companies tend to offer discounts at the end of the outdoor season.
“I’ll get quotes and spearhead (the project),” O’Brien said.
