MSI rent-a-cops are driving their golf carts all over the park, not staying on paths, and creating ruts, ripping up grass, and undoing the drainage remediation. They're causing flooding and icing of the creek path.
Why are the tennis court (along Woodlawn Ave) lights still on after 10 pm?
There is a huge grassy plot of land next to Sherwood Oaks Park that has gone seemingly unused for years. It would be great if this expanse of land could be used to create a dog park. There are many dog owners in the Bloomington community that frequent Sherwood Oaks Park, and adding a simple dog park there would give this unused plot of land some purpose and revitalize the park as a whole. This grassy expanse is located alongside the Jackson Creek Trail, a long sidewalk that many dog owners use, myself included. Having the dog park located here would be highly accessible, useful, and convenient. As you may already know, there is already a dog park in Bloomington called Ferguson Dog Park; however, it is in a secluded location and quite far off from local neighborhoods. Commuting there and back is a hassle, and I'm sure many other Bloomington dog owners would agree. This proposed dog park wouldn't have to be fancy. I suggest 2-3 separate fenced-in areas (each area suits different dog sizes/mannerisms) as well as a shaded picnic/sitting area. A dog wash station would be ideal, but not necessary. These suggestions are based off of the design of Ferguson Dog Park, so Ferguson can definitely be consulted for ideas during the creation of this proposed Sherwood Oaks dog park. In the picture above, the dotted lines represent a rough idea for the fencing that would separate the dog park into the 3 areas.
Re: 168092, filed 4/14/19 and not answered. When you installed the lights along the paved path between Olcott Park and Sherwood Oaks Park, you disturbed a wide swathe of wildfowers. These include Bloodroot, Jack in the Pulpit, Toadshade Trillium, Larkspur, Trout Lily, Cut Leaved Toothwort, Harbinger of Spring and Spring Beauty. Now you have planted grass, which does not belong in a woodland, and when mowed will further damage these native plants. This bit of woods is most unusual in the city for its native plants and trees. Is there not anyone in the Parks Department who values this? We are losing our native plants.
The Switchyard Park skate park is finished, but there's still construction around it. This is the obvious reason it's still closed, but there is a plethora of kids that skate it every day and regularly get kicked out. This doesn't seem sustainable, and I would expect that it's only going to create ruthlessness and ignorance of the law in some of the kids. Right now, it's schedule to be closed off all summer and fall until the rest of the park is scheduled to be finished in November. This seems unreasonable. It would take comparatively little effort to finish a small path from the park to the B-line and move the construction fence line to the other edges of the park.
The skatepark at Switchyard now has someone being paid to kick people out. How is this place any more of a liability than having a massive, very, very poorly off fenced construction site with a public trail going through it any less of a liability? Close the b-line or be fair and let skaters use the skatepark. It makes no sense.
I absolutely love RCA Park and often go with my two dogs to walk the trails and play in the open field. Overall I feel safe, but I have noticed homeless men walking the trails behind the school and walking into the woods (presumably to do drugs or to find their camps which are obvious from some trails). Although not completely comfortable with this, I understand it is still a public park. My main concern is the human feces I have encountered at the park. Once, about a month ago, right on one of the paved trails, and again today (Sept 24) on the concrete area of the public restrooms. This is a serious safety matter that needs to be brought to your attention. Thank you for all the hard work your department does!
Porta pot at Upper Cascades Park is completely full. Trash and toilet paper is maintained regularly, but bowl is full of waste.
Sign not properly planted into the ground at the skatepark. It's barely into the earth with no apparent concrete footer underneath. I don't know if someone fell against it or if it was the insane winds the other day that pushed it back like this.
During rain, the surrounding mud and grime around the skatepark at the new Switchyard park drains into the park itself since there is no finished edgings. I don't know what sort of timeline the construction crews have on getting to this, but I just wanted to point out how bad it gets. Some friends had to get wet and dirty in order to unclog one of the drains and get the water out from the park. We had to get our own brooms out to clean this up later on after it had dried. I understand it's cold season and there may not be anything to be done, but I feel like it needs pointed out. The skatepark itself is wonderful, but the work around it has been poorly taken care of. Pictures of the area that pools and how mud ends up draining into the park from two spots on the north side of the skatepark are in this shared album. https://photos.app.goo.gl/uXgmpwQefXXzfAV56 Thank you!