Comments sought on plans for park playlot
by BRIAN NADIG
The Roberts Square Park Advisory Council is seeking community input on two proposed designs for a playlot that will be constructed at the 3.5-acre park next year.
The council is asking residents who live near the park, 5200 W. Argyle St., to choose one of the designs by Dec. 1 and to send an e-mail listing their choice to robertsquarepac@yahoo.com. Copies of the designs are available on the council’s Facebook page and at www.nadignewspapers.com.
Roberts Square Park is one of several area parks that are receiving new playground equipment as part of the "Chicago Plays" program. The program calls for new equipment at about 300 parks over the next 5 years, including Kolmar, 4143 N. Kolmar Ave., Norwood, 5801 N. Natoma Ave., North Mayfair, 4533 W. Carmen Ave., Thuis, 4759 N. Lavergne Ave., and Oriole, 5430 N. Olcott Ave.
In order to save money, the footprint of each playlot is not changing, and a softer rubber surface is not being installed. The parks are using Fibar chips, which look similar to traditional woodchips but are a softer material, for the play surface.
Advisory council president John Riordan said that both of the designs feature slides, a climbing apparatus, rockers and bridges. Plans call for the existing swing sets to remain because the newer swing banks require more space and would result in a reduction in the number of swings, Riordan said.
The council plans to announce the outcome of the vote on Dec. 2, Riordan said. He said that construction of the new playlot tentatively is scheduled to start next spring and to be completed by July.
The park is across the street from Beaubien School, 5025 N. Laramie Ave., where two new playlots and an artificial athletic field are being installed.
