Taxpayers have spent 10’s to 100’s of million dollars on this area and the city is allowing the homeless to take over the park. There are several stolen shopping carts there. There is also personal possession and trash everywhere. There are also makeshift tents where people are spending the night. This is beyond frustrating given the amount of money the city has took in from taxpayers.
Silt fence has been removed; dirt will easily runoff into stream
The placement of the entry/exit gates at the new dog park is difficult for a lot of dogs/dog owners since, in order to enter/exit the dog park from the main park entrance, you have to walk past the entire dog park fence to get to and from the entry gate on the south end. If there was a gate at the north end of the dog park, it would avoid a lot of escalated barking/fearful dogs which could lead to dangerous situations like dog bites and would be a lot more user friendly.
Hello....along with many other Bloomington residents, I enjoy taking my pup to the Switchyard dog park. What a great facility the city is providing. Most of the owners are very responsible about picking up after their dogs and use the waste bags provided at the park. I have noticed, however, that owners are not as responsible while walking along the pathways from the parking areas to the dog parks. I would like to suggest that doggie waste stations be installed at several points along the pathways to encourage owners to pick up after their pets. Thank you for your consideration.
Homeless taking over the wall benches near the pickle-ball court and under the stairs coming out of the warehouse next to the trail. Grown men on the east side of the trail just south of Allen street openly drinking beer. Im appalled that in a park that isn't even complete is being taken over by the homeless. Thank god my kids are grown I would never allow my kids to go there. What is it going to take for the Mayor to address this issue? Is it going to be a child being stuck with a needle or someone being seriously injured? I would never allow my daughters walk alone on the trail and thats a shame! It's only a matter of time before one of these individuals snaps and will do something unthinkable.
Outside the homeless shelter at switchyard park off the walking path are hundreds of cigarette butts. This is making the area look very trashy as well as dangerous for wildlife/animals. Please hold people that litter accountable. Please also talk to shelter organizers to provide trash stations for cigarette butts and help educate people responsible for littering.
Could you please fill dirt around the trees in the large dog park? It has been over a year since I've visited the dog park, and the swamplands around the trees is still not fixed. Creating a hill around the tree will allow the dirt to compact into flat land for future grass growth. Thank you.
Physical safety issues on playground at Switchyard Park. There are large sharp-edged rocks next to the two concrete slides separated by slippery artificial grass. I watched as small children tried to climb these rocks with no railings to hold on to, or as they tried to go up the grassy area next to the rocks and slides. This is a disaster waiting to happen! I was alarmed that a child was going to fall off the rocks or onto the sharp edges. I saw several children bump their heads on the concrete edge of the slides as they landed hard. Both of these issues need immediate attention. There needs to be a padding strip on the slides at the bottom. The large sharp-edged rocks need to be removed and steps with a railing installed on both sides of the slides.
Portable toilets not usable today because toilets were filled with used needles. Empty liquor bottles also in toilets.
The portable restrooms located near the basketball court at Switchyard Park are in terrible condition and have been for weeks. The attached photo is an indication of how it looks every day. More generally, the restroom situation at Switchyard needs to be reviewed. closures during the winter months are not only inconvenient, they are not practical for the many people who use the park during the winter. Moreover, the amount of trash at Switchyard, especially near the pickle ball courts, the basketball court, and the bocce ball courts is awful. And on the bocce courts, there still is no rake for grooming the courts for play. I realize that the summer months are coming and there are likely to be more people working and volunteering in the park to keep it clean and safe. However, for a park as popular as Switchyard, there needs to be a review of how resources for maintenance are allocated to it. For example, there seems to be no reason the restroom within the police substation needs to be closed in the winter. And it would be nice to have lights installed at the pickle ball courts. speaking of the pickle ball courts, might it be possible to install a rack where players can leave their paddles to indicate who is next for a court? Maybe a 1-hour time limit if people are waiting? Thanks for listening.