August 12, 2008
planning for Chimborazo Playground generating good ideas
The Friends of Chimborazo Playground have posted an updated design proposal for the playground:
The design features a main vista looking through the park from 29th Street to 31st. Ten community garden plots would line the northern alley; a sidewalk would line the southern perimeter of the park. The tall fences currently surrounding the park would be replaced with berms, lower walls and other landscape features to make the area less “penal looking.”
20 Responses to “planning for Chimborazo Playground generating good ideas”
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The plan is amazing. It has something for everyone, including a skate area. I will be glad to see the chain-link fence gone.
Has anyone considered renaming the park to go along with the changes? Chimborazo Playground seems to get confused for Chimborazo Park. And I may be wrong, but doesn’t the Chimborazo neighborhood start at 32nd Street and go east? This playground isn’t in Chimborazo.
One suggestion would be naming it after Elizabeth Van Lew and Mary Bowser, who lived where Bellevue School is now, a few blocks away. Google them if you don’t know who they are.
the plan is really lovely. however, would they who should not be named have to approve such a thing? because it is definitely not historic. skateboarding, basketball, and tennis are fairly modern sports. instead, shouldn’t there be a mumbly-peg court, a horse corral, and a saloon? let’s name the park “Historical Park of History Past and Nostalgia Center.” something with some zing! use a lot of burlap and leather and logs.
Where is the park exactly? Like, what street? On 29th to 31st on what? M?
I love it! A wonderful addition to the neighborhood and another great project from BAM.
I only have one question- would it be a better use to have the terraced lawn (#3) flat for more athletic activities? Throwing a football, baseball, frisbee, etc… would be hazardous with a terraced element.
How about the larger Chimbo Park for football.
Chimborazo Park is a block away for any large open event you could think of. Kickball is played there sometimes.
But also I have no idea what the little hill would be for, besides playing King of the Hill, which seems too dangerous for a public park to be encouraging.
In response to comment 3, Chimborazo Playground is just behind the homes on the southside of Broad Street between 29th and 31st streets.
It is labeled Libby Terrace Park on google maps.
Kickball? Is there a league or is it pickup?
“Historical Park of History Past and Nostalgia Center.â€
“Historical Park of History Past and Nostalgia Center.â€
mandatory dress: breeches and hoop skirts.
Beautiful!
Wow! It looks too good to be true! So green and pretty and open to everyone who is nice and playful! No one has mentioned the community garden plots. Which look a little small to me? Maybe some of the terraced lawns (I think they are for sun-bathing and picnicking probably) could be squished over for more community garden area? Because – I WANT COMMUNITY GARDEN SPACE FOR ME ME ME! Um, heh heh.
Why do they have to put basketball courts in the park? Those things cause more trouble than they are worth.
zach:
Are you serious? As a former high school basketball center, I can tell you that playing with my friends in the park (and with my Dad in our driveway) was a really valuable resource for me. I suspect it is for local kids as well. Our future stars might play on those courts.
There have been basketball courts there for years. I have never heard of any trouble on the courts. I’ve seen more suspicious activity on the playground there than the basketball court. I think you’ve watched too many movies :)
1/ I don’t know whether this is one of many submissions or *the* submission — but it looks beautiful!
2/ The ‘terrace’ structure is indeed an interesting obstacle part for playing Frisbee or soccer – maybe it’s more for doing a picnic, reading, suntanning, but then again who is doing that at 95+ degrees?
3/ There seem to be entrances south-west of the playground structure – I hope they are sufficiently secured so kids can neither venture into the brushes, nor someone could come out of them …
4/ I don’t see any marks for water drinking fountains – it would be nice to have that! But of course it’s a rough overview plan, and I am already wondering about the budget planning – a lot of things to buy, build, and change…
Cheers, TC
BTW: I don’t see the basketball courts as a problem (and I’ve been there quite often). People seem to have a great time there, and it gets regular usage…
And another one while I was just walking back from the playground in the dark: I hope we have a lighting concept ;)
It is a beautiful rendition; however, I have a wee suggeston …All the hard surfaces are at one end of the park (and therefore all the traffic & noise), and I believe public restrooms are considered for pavilion area #7 (once again creating a visual fence to what is going on behind, around, or in it. It would seem to be safer, and more neighbor friendly to move both those areas to section #14. Section #17 could become more community or perennial gardens creating a pleasing sound buffer. Thanks.
ALSO, with a group of friendly volunteers there is much we can do NOW (while waiting for funding) to make our playground a safer, pleasing park for very little money.
1) Fix lights (in the works)
2) Lower backboard to correct height (in the works)
3) Demolish gazebo
4) Remove fencing except where needed for safety
5) Reuse existing new fencing for areas that are in disrepair, and /or create a small block between the basketball courts and the swing sets
6) Would also like to see some of that unusble asphalt torn up. It could be seeded for now with a fast growing grass