4 Lawrence playgrounds may be removed because of poor condition, low usage

photo by: Dylan Lysen

This slide in Woody Park, shown on Nov. 13, 2018, is one of four playgrounds the Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department is considering for removal.

Four playgrounds in Lawrence public parks could be removed in 2019 because of poor condition and low usage.

Mark Hecker, assistant director of the City of Lawrence’s Parks and Recreation Department, said the department conducted a citywide audit of the playgrounds and found four of 38 total playgrounds to be in poor condition and seldom used by the public.

Hecker presented the audit report to the city’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board on Monday and suggested the four playgrounds should be removed. He told the Journal-World that no official plans existed to remove the playgrounds yet but that they would likely be taken down in 2019.

The other 34 public playgrounds are either in good to fair condition and are used fairly regularly, according to the audit.

The four playgrounds include a slide in Woody Park, 201 Maine St.; a swingset in Ludlam Park, 2800 W. Ninth St.; a slide and swingset in Park Hill Park No. 1, 500 Oklahoma St.; and a playground set with various features in Edgewood Park, 1245 E. 15th St.

photo by: Dylan Lysen

This slide in Park Hill Park No. 1, shown on Nov. 13, 2018, along with a swing set is one of four playgrounds the Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department is considering for removal. The slide is marked with an inappropriate image and other markings.

The Parks and Recreation Department will soon notify residents in neighborhoods near those parks of the possible removal of playgrounds. Derek Rogers, Parks and Recreation Director, said the department would discuss the issue with the residents before taking any action.

“It’s still a community asset, and the community needs to be involved in those decisions,” Rogers said.

The audit lists the playgrounds between 15 and 25 years old, except for the Park Hill Park slide and swingset, which are older than 30 years. But the playgrounds do not have immediate safety concerns, and part of the reason they are suggested for removal is because they are not accessible for people with disabilities.

The audit, which is a regular practice for city departments, was conducted in August to give the department an idea of how the playgrounds are being used and to identify deficiencies. Hecker said the audit also gave the department an understanding of which playgrounds were used regularly so it could keep high-use parks in good condition.

photo by: Dylan Lysen

This swing set in Ludlam Park, shown on Nov. 13, 2018, is one of four playgrounds the Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department is considering for removal. Ludlam Park is across the street from Sunset Hill Elementary School, which has its own playground.

The four playgrounds slated for removal are within walking distance of other city parks or public schools with their own playgrounds, which are open to the public after school hours.

“Ludlam park is that way, where we have a swingset in the middle of nowhere and you go right across the street (to Sunset Hill Elementary School) and there is hundreds of thousand of dollars of playground equipment,” Hecker said. “There’s a lot of places where we have parks next to schools, so those — you look at them a little differently.”

Some of the removed equipment can be salvaged and reused at other parks, Hecker said.

The south-end playground in Edgewood Park was meant to be removed when the Parks and Recreation Department placed the newer playground in the park, he said. Some parts of the south-end playground are still in good condition and will be moved to Park Hill Park No. 2 to create a smaller playground.

photo by: Dylan Lysen

This playground set in Edgewood Park, shown on Nov. 13, 2018, is one of four playgrounds the Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department is considering for removal. One of the slides on the playground is in poor condition, but the rest of the set could be salvaged and moved to another park.

The department does not need Lawrence City Commission approval to remove the playgrounds, but would need its approval to replace them with newer equipment because of the costs.

The city could replace the removed playgrounds in the future, but the department would need additional city funding that is not currently available, Hecker said.

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