Case Date:

12/7/2018

First - thank you for how responsive the department has been to our observations about Park Ridge Park. We really appreciate it! Park Ridge has a density of plants in and around it and is a relatively small park. As such, the amount of debris that can accumulate on the park compared to its size is quite high. We have witnessed that this debris tends to remain over the winter and well into spring if it isn't removed. We have seen that this eventually causes problems as the debris prevents grass from overwintering well and regrowing in the spring. This leads to bare spots (especially since the park is pretty all sloped except for the build in structures) leading to erosion. The Parks Department has worked diligently to mitigate these erosion issues through sowing grass seed, putting down straw mats, etc. This has been effective at at least stopping the erosion. However, I wonder if these mitigation efforts will have to be repeated next spring given the amount of debris in park. I suggest removing the debris now to hopefully prevent future problems and accompanying efforts to fix those problems. Please let us know what you think and thanks again for your responsiveness and hard work at making Park Ridge and Bloomington a great place to live and work. Cheers, John

Case Date:

6/3/2019

Hi, First, thank you for removing the leaves from Park Ridge Park, the excellent park in the Park Ridge neighborhood, in April. Now, it seems like it is in need of a little bit of post-winter care. The areas where the leaves laid overwinter have become bare (see the picture). This is a spot that the Parks Department has worked hard trying to recover before and I suppose it is time work on it again. There are also other bare spots in the park where leaves had laid over winter (by the shelter - to the east) and for some unknown reason to the south of the swings. Could these areas please be addressed with grass seed and straw to make sure that park stays maintainable, that the structures don't end being compromised by erosion, and to make the park less of a mess after a rain? Also, the mulch covering the area underneath the playground structure may need refilled, in particular underneath the swings. Finally, is there a regular schedule under which these aspects of the park(s) get addressed? I am sure there are priorities and limited resources. We do not want to bother the department - if we knew that this maintenance would be done (based on a known schedule), then we would only have the thank yous to include instead of a thank you and a request. Thanks again.

Case Date:

10/28/2019

Hi, Regarding Park Ridge Park, as the fall leaf season approaches, I want to bring up leave removal at the park. It does seem as though some bare ground did develop at the park this season and I would say that it is due in part to the lack of leaf removal. Neighborhood residents might be able to aid in getting our very shaded and "treed" park cleared. To make the most of that, we would appreciate it if Parks and Rec or some other city agency could help out with coordinating with the leave removal crews to ensure that if we do gather the leaves that they will be picked up. Is that something that the department can help out with? Thanks as always, John

Case Date:

6/16/2019

Thank you for putting down straw and grass seed in Park Ridge Park as well as putting out more playground fill!

Case Date:

12/8/2019

Thank you for removing the leaves from Park Ridge Park!!!!!! I am sure that will make an impact next season in terms of making the sloped areas of the park less likely to suffer from erosion over the winter (given the straw mulch and seed put down) and then aid in rejuvenating the grass in those areas, again leading to less erosion, less maintenance, and a better park for the neighborhood and the city! Thanks!!!

Case Date:

12/16/2019

Hi! I am concerned that the fencing going up around the dog park areas of the Switchyard Park has not been done right. The soil has not been backfilled around the post bases, and the fencing and sod are being finished anyway, leaving extremely large gaps under the fencing--large enough for my 40-lb beagle mix to fit under, as well as many other dogs. Just wanted to make sure those in charge know. I know it is a very large-scale project with many details to keep up with, but it seems much easier and more cost-effective for it to be fixed sooner (while dirt and equipment are still on site) than later (when the park is completely finished and people start losing their dogs under the fence). Thank you for your attention on this matter! Otherwise I am so excited about the park and it is looking great!