Families provide input for Hillcrest Park design
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Tesia Galvan
Kaela, Laura and Kimberly Nelson enjoy cookies at the Hillcrest Park public meeting on Thursday.
WORLAND – Families and residents came out to Hillcrest Park on Thursday evening to look at four options for possible playset designs.
Visitors enjoyed cookies and discussed the options for playground equipment with Worland Public Works Superintendent Brian Burky.
Burky said overall they had more than 60 people attend the public meeting and he got feedback on things he wasn't even expecting, which was great.
"The most popular elements were the zip line, climbers and people really liked the idea of the group swing," Burky said, and added, "(Design) No. 4 was the most popular ... and ultimately, we'll adapt No. 4 to meet what the public is interested in."
Public comment
One attendee, Candace Whitlock, recommended the steel slide be kept so children and parents that might have cochlear ear implants don't suffer.
Whitlock said people who have cochlear ear implants have to be careful of static electricity that the plastic playground equipment makes with activities like going down a slide because it can interfere with the ear implant.
The FDA even warns people with cochlear ear implants to be careful of static electricity because it "may temporarily or permanently damage a cochlear implant." They recommend removing the processor and headset before contact with static generating materials like children's plastic play equipment.
– Burky said he got additional feedback from the public about bringing the ice skating rink back and about playground colors, which were earth tones like tan and green.
"I got a ton of input to bring back the ice rink, to have more shade and fix up the basketball courts," Burky said. "I wasn't expecting that ... and it was great to hear. I'm glad people wrote that on the comment form."
What's next
"We have to inspect everything for safety. If we can keep it, we have room for it and its safe we'll do that," Burky said of the existing playground equipment.
The equipment is set to be ordered this month and when weather allows it Burky said it will put it in. "The best outcome would be to allow it this fall but ... it might be a thing that gets completed in the spring," he said.
