By David Newman

Lyon Park is our shared backyard—a place where children play, neighbors gather, and community happens. Maintaining the park is the responsibility of the Lyon Park Community Center’s Board of Governors (the “BOG”), so when the BOG saw aging playground equipment and picnic tables needing replacement and on-going water drainage issues, the BOG authorized creation of a Playground Committee to gather community input, identify neighborhood priorities, and develop recommendations.

Over the past year, an all-volunteer Committee, led by Mark Illich, has widely distributed a survey, held conversations at community events and meetings, provided updates in this newsletter, delivered flyers throughout the neighborhood, and worked to keep you informed on https://lyonpark.org/explore/parks-green-spaces/lyon-park-playground-renovation/.

Your collective input guided a playground design expert, whose work was funded by a generous donation. The expert sketches here and on the website reflect the general design plan. Finalizing the plan requires selection of the playground equipment, which happens at a later stage with further opportunity for community input.

What We Heard. Across multiple channels, community members expressed strong support for improving park drainage, replacing aging equipment, upgrading play surfaces, and adding play equipment for children 5–12. At the same time, neighbors emphasized the importance of protecting Lyon Park’s tree canopy, preserving the natural character of the park, and maintaining open play space and picnic areas. The proposed design strives to optimize the playground, while preserving the nature and spirit of Lyon Park. 

Design Elements:
-A rain garden to help capture and treat stormwater runoff
-Replacement of the equipment for children ages 2–5
-Addition of equipment for children ages 5–12
-Upgraded play surfaces to improve accessibility and the health and safety of our children and our trees
-Shifting the ages 2–5 play area away from the existing tree cluster and picnic tables to better protect critical root zones, expand picnic space, and make better use of the northwest portion of the park
-A second accessible entry path from 4th Street to improve access for strollers, wheelchairs, and others who need accommodation
-Preservation of the tree canopy. Only a small leaning cherry tree needs removal; while additional trees and native plantings will be in the project budget.
-If fundraising permits, free-standing play areas, such as a small playhouse village, balance play, or loose-parts play, may be added under existing shade trees.

As the project moves forward, the Committee will keep working with community members and organizations to ensure your priorities remain their priorities.

What Comes Next. The Committee will continue sharing information, answering questions, and gathering feedback at community meetings and events. Updates will be published in this newsletter, on the Lyon Park listserv, and at https://lyonpark.org/explore/parks-green-spaces/lyon-park-playground-renovation.

Eligible community members will have an opportunity to vote on the plan. The results of that vote, and other inputs from engaged community organizations and members, will determine the future of this initiative. Even after this decision point, if the project moves forward, further community input will be welcomed on finer details.

The next step will be fundraising, likely beginning with local businesses and potential institutional or corporate supporters, followed by outreach to neighbors seeking participation at a meaningful level.

Selection of playground equipment and plantings, with further community input, occurs after funding is in place.
Comments, questions, and concerns about the overall plan can be sent to Playground Committee Chair Mark Illich at milich@mkdevelopmentllc.com and to David Newman and Ann Pitts at LPCCGovernors@gmail.com.