Children run between the splash pad and playground mound on Thursday in Monteith Riverpark.
A mother messaged me with a couple of questions about the new children’s splash pad and playground in Albany’s Monteith Riverpark. This prompted me to steer the bike there for the second afternoon in a row to take a look.
Her message started:
“My husband and I have been to the new splash pad and we have a safety concern. The large mountain that they climb to access the equipment is fun but on one side it’s extremely close to the sidewalk. My 4-year-old ran down the hill and almost biffed it on the sidewalk below. I’m not sure why they didn’t give more clearance because the soft playground material covers all sides except that one area. They should have given at least 5 ft. Is there a way to bring this to the city’s attention? Perhaps they could install a bumper on that side?”
As the photo shows, the strip of playground surface between the mound and the concrete sidewalk is only about 2 feet wide. But a bumper would kill the fun of running down the side of the mound into the splash pad and back up again.
The kids I saw playing there managed the layout just fine. Maybe this is one of those learning situations where children, having stumbled once, learn how to manage challenging terrain and still have fun.
My correspondent’s other question was this:
“Also, could you figure out what time the splash pad closes? The City has seemed very vague about this and even on the rules they mention ‘dusk’ but that is different for every season. For summer that is about 9:30 pm and we were there at 8 pm and it wasn’t on. Everyone that has asked on Albany Happenings or other pages has been rebuffed with no answers. I thought this might be the perfect thing for you to uncover for the public. It would be really helpful in planning. We are a family who like to go out in our evenings since we both work.”
City officials including Parks and Recreation Director Kim Lyddane told me the splash pad’s hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day during the season, which runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
There’s supposed to be signage somewhere to spell that out. But even if there isn’t (and I didn’t see it), now you know. (hh)
Before Thursday’s concert, the new steps in Monteith Riverpark were marked with traffic cones and a caution sign, presumably to prevent stumbles.
“Is there any way to bring this to the city’s attention?” Um, maybe talking to the city? Pretty sure they have a phone and a website and email and social media? Probably more effective than asking on Albany Happenings or this site?
Hasso: Very good pictures of Monteith Park. Thanks. I see I might have been right a while back when I said to a fellow exerciser at a class at former Sr. Center that it seemed that the City expects River Rhythms entertainers to park their mobile homes right next to the stage for dressing room and bathroom purposes. Classmate said, no, they will use the former Sr. Center. But, in your photo of the stage and the steps with the orange cones (which also point out the City’s poor planning), I see mobile homes and vans near the stage.
I would also like to add that can the pad timer get changed to continuous on at least during the busy hours which is typically afternoon thru evening. like maybe 12-7 or 8? water doesn’t run long enough and have to keep pushing the button and sometimes it takes forever for it to turn back on.
You should make the splash pad run constantly instead of the button. Sometimes it doesn’t always work effectively and takes awhile to turn on. Thank you.
The play structure isn’t age inclusive. It’s too big for children under the posted ages of 5-12. You’d think that the city would’ve made the play structure more inclusive of all ages or at least included a smaller play structure nearby for younger children. I mentioned this on a post on Facebook, Albany Happenings, and my comments and concerns seemed to go by the wayside.
Ill try again. My comment on the soft flooring in the play area…needing to be extended rather than abruptly stopping at a cement sidewalk… was apparently a little too snarky in Hasso’s eyes.
Of course, the soft finish needs to be extended at the area of the cement sidewalk. To the lady who asked Hasso about it: You are absolutely correct. Pay no attention to Hasso’s answer. Contact the Mayor and ask him who you should talk to.
The City (that is, CARA) probably spent all of the 21.5 million they blew on the park and therefore left an area where the soft flooring abruptly ends. We know they made other poor choices, such as the long steps, because the steps now have orange construction cones placed to prevent people from tripping and falling.
As a child going down the metal slide and burning my backside taught me a valuable lesson.. crossing the monkey bars and falling off taught me an incredible lesson… I understand things happen but I feel very grateful and cannot wait to take my grandkids ages 10 5 and 3 to this amazing new structure at Monteith Park. I think it’s a blessing. I think it’s a huge improvement and if one of my grandkids gets banged up or a bonk on the head, I will deal with it just like I did with my own children: Give them a kiss, tell them they’re okay and send them back to the playground.
Looking at the picture of the walkway with the cones and the sign that says .. Caution watch your step… I really feel for the older folks that use canes and walkers and such. It looks like that pathway is an accident just waiting to happen….