Richardson Mayor Steve Mitchell sent along a letter addressing the removal of the beloved playground equipment at Heights Park. Click here to read.
14 comments
when in doubt, always fall back on ADA requirement.
@ 2:13 pm on July 15, 2008
I’ll summarize the letter:
Blah, politic-speak, task force, federal standards, hiring the bestest playground designer ever, blah.
Conclusion: We, the Ciry of Richardson, collectively have no balls.
@ 2:18 pm on July 15, 2008
More accurately, the damn lawyers will sue us to kingdom come if a kid falls down and gets a boo-boo because we did’t rip this stuff out and put in a playground filled with cuddly toys and soft artificial surface.
@ 2:41 pm on July 15, 2008
I thank the Mayor for taking time to address a rather insignificant issue in a thoughtful and informative manner. He points out that the city took into consideration the intangible value of the playground pieces and the fact that the city is storing the pieces and plans to reintroduce them shows me that the city of Richardson is doing all it can to preserve history while avoiding costly lawsuits (which would inevitably hit me in the pocketbook). I think his letter pretty much smacked down the snark in previous posts on this subject. Good on you, Mayor.
@ 2:46 pm on July 15, 2008
I don’t live in Richardson, never been to the park, but have some experience on how cities go about doing things. This memo is a great example of the inability of government to get things done, and to respond to the voice of the people.
Here’s what I heard the Mayor say in his memo:
1. We’ve been hiding behind the shroud of activity for months now, doing studies and examining things, without actually having to take action and make a decision
2. It’s not our decision, really, because a task force of people just like you actually made the recommendation. I’m just the messenger.
3. And besides, a “leading expert” told us the thing was unsafe, because his entire professional purpose is to go around pronouncing things unsafe, regardless of the long record of safety in the acutal utilization of the equipment. This guy knows the rules, and the rules say it’s unsafe, and he must know something because he makes his money telling people about the unsafety and the rules.
4. Don’t worry, you’ll see all this stuff again. I just can’t tell you when. Or where. Or in what context. Or when those decisions are even going to be made. Stop asking me for answers.
5. And anyway, any delay in actually doing something constructive is because we’re too busy paying the best park people in the America to tell us what a park looks like. We really need to know this before we go build a park, don’t we? Show of hands, who really knows what a park looks like?
6. Above all, we need your patience. Cut us some slack, these things take time.
It’s all very tiring.
@ 3:05 pm on July 15, 2008
Isn’t the mayor of Farmers Branch a “Tim?”
hmmmm….
@ 3:15 pm on July 15, 2008
Interesting…but not me.
@ 3:16 pm on July 15, 2008
Don’t kill the messenger…In this case, Steve Mitchell.
You know, this whole thing is just really sad. It’s sad that a “new” mayor with fresh ideas and who has the ability to breathe new life into a city has to take the fall for this. The council and mayor were boxed in by the same ridiculous laws widely discussed on this blog (smoking/cell phone bans et all). It’s a sad day when children’s dreams fall victim to absurd governmental regulations.
No one on this blog is questioning the citizen task force (who played a big role in promoting the tear down), or the rest of the city council (who you can contact by going to http://www.cor.net). It’s just Steve Mitchell left to absorb the snark and assaults of we, the Frontburner nation. (Let’s also note that prior to Mitchell’s tenure, current council member Gary Slagel was mayor for a dozen or more years…while the rocket stood, during the time the ADA was enacted, the very same laws were in effect. It took Steve Mitchell to step forward and let us know just how at risk we were to litigation, as residents.) Let’s hold accountable the GROUP that voted on the tear down as a whole, not just ridicule the current mayor left to defend his city. Everyone says they want “change,” this is what change looks like. Deal with it. (I include myself in this mandate…)
Even more interesting is the timing…if it’s been there 40, even 50 years, what difference does it make the rocket stayed until the end of summer? A big difference if you have invested in destroying the method and message of Steve Mitchell.
Seriously, the rocket never had a chance against blind political ambition and a grudge.
@ 3:45 pm on July 15, 2008
Its all about the childrennnnnnnnn!
@ 3:50 pm on July 15, 2008
Tim in FB – I do have a dog in this hunt, since I actually live in the neighborhood. That said, I think you are seeing the Mayor’s response from a “cup half empty” perspective, which you are entitled (almost expected here on FB) to do, of course.
I, however, am impressed that the Mayor actually took time to write a letter addressing the issue and has shown that steps are being made to preserve the (non-compliant) dated structures. I have seen the Master Plan which he refers to and it is very impressive. It is nice to know the City values it’s parks and is taking (impressive) steps to improve them.
This Mayor attends neighborhood association meetings and appears to be truly interested in making Richardson a good place to live. I suppose it depends on what you are looking for, but for my money, Richardson has been a great place to own a home.
@ 3:50 pm on July 15, 2008
Tim, concur totally. Except I’ve been to the park numerous times, my kids and the kids of the soccer team I coached played on the rocket and other old-school equipment, and nobody got hurt. But they did learn what it’s like to see the ground from really high up all on their own effort. I can guarantee they won’t get that experience on the plastic and vinyl-coated steel travesty to come.
Unfortunately for the City of Richardson, the plastic and vinyl-coated steel of the new playground equipment is not a magic shield that will indemnify the city from the predations of lawsuits.
And what playground equipment _is_ ADA-compliant? That sounds like a total non-starter of an argument. Even the new stuff that I see going up all over the place isn’t anything close to handicapped-friendly.
Amanda, I think you’re right.
@ 4:37 pm on July 15, 2008
Wes, here’s the problem, I know I’m right, and it brings me no joy to say so…I know who is responsible for the tear down and why. If this rocket was so dangerous, why wasn’t Jane McGarry teasing us with “Why the City of Richarson wants YOU to die…tonight at 10?” Safety, really, was a non-issue, and conscious choice by a handful of people to take it down. It’s the “why” that should have all of us concerned.
@ 4:53 pm on July 15, 2008
So the ADA study concluded that kids can get impaled on the structure or get their head stuck. In the 40+ years the rocket was there, how many kids were impaled or got their head stuck?
I’m guessing 0, but I’d appreciate someone letting my know if my guess is incorrect.
@ 5:18 pm on July 16, 2008
I sat in a Community meeting about the rocket and various pieces. I wish I would have recorded the entire thing. They stated at least 8 different times (according to my long set of notes) that the removal would be years away. Obviously this was a lie. What I do not appreciate being a tax paying resident and not being informed of the impending removal in the middle of July. OK, you know it might be very insignificant to many BUT who knows how it will come back/if it will come back. By reading Mr. Laska’s post in the Richardson Echo http://www.richardsonecho.com/News/ReadArticle/tabid/82/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/98/Heights-Park-tear-down-is-a-tragedy.aspx you can see that many people were bamboozled.
It is obvious that there are people who had many fond memories. My biggest issue about the entire thing was how the removal came about and when it came about. Let’s see. July is summer. Kids are off of school during the summer. What a perfect time to take it out. Perhaps we can replace it with a LAZY RIVER or AMPHITHEATER both of which I think would be more dangerous(lazy river even with lifeguards) and an amphitheater–has anyone thought that most of the time it is HOT in TEXAS and/or the place is near a creek which swarms with mosquitoes?
Mr. Mitchell missed his chance to be a leader. Don’t say he inherited it. He had a chance and he just plain screwed up. Thanks Mr. Mitchell. I hope you get re-elected…NOT!
@ 10:46 pm on July 28, 2008
FrontBurner® launched in March 2003, the first blog in Dallas run by a media organization. This is where the editors of D Magazine come to waste a tremendous amount of time.
14 comments
when in doubt, always fall back on ADA requirement.
I’ll summarize the letter:
Blah, politic-speak, task force, federal standards, hiring the bestest playground designer ever, blah.
Conclusion: We, the Ciry of Richardson, collectively have no balls.
More accurately, the damn lawyers will sue us to kingdom come if a kid falls down and gets a boo-boo because we did’t rip this stuff out and put in a playground filled with cuddly toys and soft artificial surface.
I thank the Mayor for taking time to address a rather insignificant issue in a thoughtful and informative manner. He points out that the city took into consideration the intangible value of the playground pieces and the fact that the city is storing the pieces and plans to reintroduce them shows me that the city of Richardson is doing all it can to preserve history while avoiding costly lawsuits (which would inevitably hit me in the pocketbook). I think his letter pretty much smacked down the snark in previous posts on this subject. Good on you, Mayor.
I don’t live in Richardson, never been to the park, but have some experience on how cities go about doing things. This memo is a great example of the inability of government to get things done, and to respond to the voice of the people.
Here’s what I heard the Mayor say in his memo:
1. We’ve been hiding behind the shroud of activity for months now, doing studies and examining things, without actually having to take action and make a decision
2. It’s not our decision, really, because a task force of people just like you actually made the recommendation. I’m just the messenger.
3. And besides, a “leading expert” told us the thing was unsafe, because his entire professional purpose is to go around pronouncing things unsafe, regardless of the long record of safety in the acutal utilization of the equipment. This guy knows the rules, and the rules say it’s unsafe, and he must know something because he makes his money telling people about the unsafety and the rules.
4. Don’t worry, you’ll see all this stuff again. I just can’t tell you when. Or where. Or in what context. Or when those decisions are even going to be made. Stop asking me for answers.
5. And anyway, any delay in actually doing something constructive is because we’re too busy paying the best park people in the America to tell us what a park looks like. We really need to know this before we go build a park, don’t we? Show of hands, who really knows what a park looks like?
6. Above all, we need your patience. Cut us some slack, these things take time.
It’s all very tiring.
Isn’t the mayor of Farmers Branch a “Tim?”
hmmmm….
Interesting…but not me.
Don’t kill the messenger…In this case, Steve Mitchell.
You know, this whole thing is just really sad. It’s sad that a “new” mayor with fresh ideas and who has the ability to breathe new life into a city has to take the fall for this. The council and mayor were boxed in by the same ridiculous laws widely discussed on this blog (smoking/cell phone bans et all). It’s a sad day when children’s dreams fall victim to absurd governmental regulations.
No one on this blog is questioning the citizen task force (who played a big role in promoting the tear down), or the rest of the city council (who you can contact by going to http://www.cor.net). It’s just Steve Mitchell left to absorb the snark and assaults of we, the Frontburner nation. (Let’s also note that prior to Mitchell’s tenure, current council member Gary Slagel was mayor for a dozen or more years…while the rocket stood, during the time the ADA was enacted, the very same laws were in effect. It took Steve Mitchell to step forward and let us know just how at risk we were to litigation, as residents.) Let’s hold accountable the GROUP that voted on the tear down as a whole, not just ridicule the current mayor left to defend his city. Everyone says they want “change,” this is what change looks like. Deal with it. (I include myself in this mandate…)
Even more interesting is the timing…if it’s been there 40, even 50 years, what difference does it make the rocket stayed until the end of summer? A big difference if you have invested in destroying the method and message of Steve Mitchell.
Seriously, the rocket never had a chance against blind political ambition and a grudge.
Its all about the childrennnnnnnnn!
Tim in FB – I do have a dog in this hunt, since I actually live in the neighborhood. That said, I think you are seeing the Mayor’s response from a “cup half empty” perspective, which you are entitled (almost expected here on FB) to do, of course.
I, however, am impressed that the Mayor actually took time to write a letter addressing the issue and has shown that steps are being made to preserve the (non-compliant) dated structures. I have seen the Master Plan which he refers to and it is very impressive. It is nice to know the City values it’s parks and is taking (impressive) steps to improve them.
This Mayor attends neighborhood association meetings and appears to be truly interested in making Richardson a good place to live. I suppose it depends on what you are looking for, but for my money, Richardson has been a great place to own a home.
Tim, concur totally. Except I’ve been to the park numerous times, my kids and the kids of the soccer team I coached played on the rocket and other old-school equipment, and nobody got hurt. But they did learn what it’s like to see the ground from really high up all on their own effort. I can guarantee they won’t get that experience on the plastic and vinyl-coated steel travesty to come.
Unfortunately for the City of Richardson, the plastic and vinyl-coated steel of the new playground equipment is not a magic shield that will indemnify the city from the predations of lawsuits.
And what playground equipment _is_ ADA-compliant? That sounds like a total non-starter of an argument. Even the new stuff that I see going up all over the place isn’t anything close to handicapped-friendly.
Amanda, I think you’re right.
Wes, here’s the problem, I know I’m right, and it brings me no joy to say so…I know who is responsible for the tear down and why. If this rocket was so dangerous, why wasn’t Jane McGarry teasing us with “Why the City of Richarson wants YOU to die…tonight at 10?” Safety, really, was a non-issue, and conscious choice by a handful of people to take it down. It’s the “why” that should have all of us concerned.
So the ADA study concluded that kids can get impaled on the structure or get their head stuck. In the 40+ years the rocket was there, how many kids were impaled or got their head stuck?
I’m guessing 0, but I’d appreciate someone letting my know if my guess is incorrect.
I sat in a Community meeting about the rocket and various pieces. I wish I would have recorded the entire thing. They stated at least 8 different times (according to my long set of notes) that the removal would be years away. Obviously this was a lie. What I do not appreciate being a tax paying resident and not being informed of the impending removal in the middle of July. OK, you know it might be very insignificant to many BUT who knows how it will come back/if it will come back. By reading Mr. Laska’s post in the Richardson Echo http://www.richardsonecho.com/News/ReadArticle/tabid/82/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/98/Heights-Park-tear-down-is-a-tragedy.aspx you can see that many people were bamboozled.
It is obvious that there are people who had many fond memories. My biggest issue about the entire thing was how the removal came about and when it came about. Let’s see. July is summer. Kids are off of school during the summer. What a perfect time to take it out. Perhaps we can replace it with a LAZY RIVER or AMPHITHEATER both of which I think would be more dangerous(lazy river even with lifeguards) and an amphitheater–has anyone thought that most of the time it is HOT in TEXAS and/or the place is near a creek which swarms with mosquitoes?
Mr. Mitchell missed his chance to be a leader. Don’t say he inherited it. He had a chance and he just plain screwed up. Thanks Mr. Mitchell. I hope you get re-elected…NOT!