Area Residents Select New Playground Equipment for Oak Park Heights Park (a.k.a. Piper Park)

Image credit:

Kate Kane / Parks

The City of Madison replaced the playground at Oak Parks Heights Park - work is complete but one piece is still to be installed (in early 2024)!

After input from area residents during two public input meetings held in late 2022 and early 2023, Parks had planned to preserve the older metal jungle gym feature at the park. 

Due to internal miscommunication, the jungle gym, along with the other aging equipment, was removed and unfortunately was not able to be repaired/reconstructed. Parks worked with Alder Tishler and attended the Midvale Heights Community Association meeting later that month to answer questions and discuss options for moving forward.  From that meeting, the idea of a follow-up meeting with the neighborhood to review equipment options for installation at the playground in Spring 2024 came forward.  That meeting was held December 11, 2023:  at the session, attendees overwhelmingly favored the

Image credit:

https://www.bciburke.com/products/product/rally-round

 Burke Rally Round (see image) as the preferred stand-alone equipment piece to replace the original jungle gym and in the dark green color to match the other new playground equipment. 

Information from all of the planning meetings can be found here on the city website. 

Discussion was also held regarding tree/tree overhangs of concern and the number of belt swings installed in the recently installed 2-bay swing.  As updates to those discussion items, Parks forestry staff are making plans to visit the site, possibly as early as this week, to inspect the trees at the northern end of the park and determine the extent of pruning and/or removals that may be necessary.  Adjacent property owner(s) will also be contacted if significant limbs or removals are determined necessary, as several of the trees appear from survey information to be located off Parks property.

All questions and comments regarding this project should be directed to Kate Kane, Landscape Architect at kkane@cityofmadison.com or (608) 261-9671.