Thursday, May 6, 2010

Riverside Playground

This photo indicates why it is essential to maintain healthy trees above high use areas in parks. A branch that was growing straight from the crook in the above fallen limb was removed. The wood rotted and only a sucker branch remained. When the weight of the sucker branch became greater than the strength of the narrow strip of living wood, the branch fell. Luckily, it did not hit anyone.
Proportionately, these trip and impact hazards would be about a foot and a half high for adults.

Mostly dead limb in silhouette.
This limb should be removed for tree health, and for safety.

Trash Trash Trash. Beauty.
DISC painted all of the other planters downtown except for this one.
No mulch mat beneath this climbing apparatus, but there is exposed concrete in multiple locations.
Exposed concrete
DDOCCK!!!

There used to be covers for the ends of this balance beam. Notice the screw holes.
Exposed concrete
Mulch mat needed
These 4x4 barriers are too close to the apparatus and they are trip and impact hazards. My kids are constantly falling over them, and one even twisted his ankle up one day. They need to be removed.
Clasp is broken.
Cover all exposed concrete with a thick mulch mat.
The distance between the slide support bar and the wooden 4x4 is minimal.
If one jumps from the end of the slide, one can easily hit the wooden 4x4s.
This is missing a bolt to attach the teeter to the spring.
Missing bolt to keep Clifford from rocking too far forward.

Unnecessary tip and impact hazards.
Some bum stole the swinging gate. It was lovely. My kids had fun.
Exposed concrete and bolt ends sticking out from the concrete. They need to be covered to remove impact hazards.
More exposed concrete.
What 2 things are missing in this photograph?
There are 4 bolts sticking at least an inch straight up from the concrete. This is a hazard.

These wonderful swings could use a fresh painting.


South Avenue and Park Place Playground

This hole must frustrate basketball players.

;;; Update;

I recently spoke with one of the people involved with the rehabilitation of this park. He said that with $1000 they were able to resurface and paint the basketball courts, paint a few things, place mulch around all the apparatus and fix some of the swings. They bought the mulch from Schenectady County. They called the City of Schenectady over half a dozen times to wire up this fence, but they refused to return their phone calls, or fix the fence.

This link -which you will have to cut and paste into a new tab- describes the work done by the community, because the City neglected the park.
http://www.union.edu/N/DS/s.php?s=8227

A few bolts would fix this hoop.

Crooked swings are not comfortable.
A lovely little set, and surrounded by a nice mat of mulch.
Missing swings


This is a great picnic table.

Notice the difference between this photo and the one above. A bolt is loose or missing and causes unintended rocking side to side.
Remove this concrete square.
Spacing between these two toys is a bit tight.

Widen and deepen the mulch mat around this climbing set.
Repair or remove this water fountain.

Fresh paint needed.

Overall, a great little pocket park.


http://www.union.edu/N/DS/s.php?s=8227