Baldwin Park playground closes, will improve and reopen in May

COMMUNITY NEWS

CARRBORO–Playgrounds are not what they used to be, according to Carrboro Facilities Administrator Emily Boykin. That’s why the city has closed Baldwin Park’s playground so a contractor can upgrade the play equipment to current standards.

“Playground technology has improved greatly over the last decade,” said Boykin in an email interview. “It’s imperative that we consider accessibility and universal use when redesigning playgrounds.”

Baldwin Park

Located at 400 Broad Street, the 2.5-acre Baldwin Park sits on the boundary between Carrboro and Chapel Hill, providing recreational space for a historically Black neighborhood. In addition to the playground, it offers picnic tables, grills, a basketball court, a rain garden, and a community garden. While the playground has been closed, the rest of the park has remained open.

The community garden allots growing beds to residents who sign up to grow their own organic food. Residents of the Broad Street and Northside neighborhoods get first shot at a garden bed; after March 15, registration opens for anyone in the greater Carrboro and Chapel Hill communities to sign up. The requirements include committing to organic gardening — no synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides.

The park takes its name from Henry W. Baldwin, a Black landowner who donated the property to St. Joseph CME Church. The church later sold the property to the town, requesting the park be named for Baldwin.

Accessible playgrounds can be a thing

Although playgrounds have been around for decades, not every child has been able to enjoy them. Children in wheelchairs may have no way to reach the equipment and neurodivergent ones may become overwhelmed by crowds and noise.

An accessible playground meets the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Children, whatever their level of ability or disability, can use the equipment and caregivers with disabilities also feel comfortable there. The standards include an accessible route to the equipment, an accessible pathway to the parking lot, and easy-to-reach grab bars. An inclusive playground is one that makes it easy for children to play together. For example, an inclusive playground might include a quiet area for those on the autism spectrum. That lets them escape the hubbub without feeling they’re cut off from the group.

Boykin says the new playground’s features will be accessible by ramps as well as accessible safety surfacing. Gravel or sand are an obstacle for someone on crutches or in a wheelchair; other surfaces, such as rubber, can be made accessible to everyone. The renovated playground will include an ADA-accessible sandbox and a Volta inclusive spinner. The spinner has multiple seating positions for children who need different levels of physical support as they ride it.

Forging ahead

“Community engagement played a key role in shaping the playground improvement project,” said Boykin. The Recreation, Parks, and Cultural Resources Department (RPCRD) held a meeting for residents within a 10-minute walk from the park to get feedback, and conducted a survey on what renovations the community wanted to see. The results showed a 70% preference for spending money on playground improvements over other amenities.

Because of the age of the playground’s current equipment and the goal of making the park more accessible and equitable, the project’s $227,000 budget qualified for American Rescue Plan Act funding. The town awarded the bid to Barrs Recreation of Pittsboro. Boykin said the new playground will open in May.

“The best part about working on projects like this is the potential for long-term impacts on our community,” stated Boykin. “What we are building now will be used in the upcoming months, years, and even decades and that is what keeps us inspired to come to work every day. Recreation, Parks, & Cultural Resources employees are often the forgotten customer service experts. Everything we do is in support of our mission to enrich the lives of our citizens by providing accessible features, a variety of program opportunities, and a safe public park system.”

Fraser Sherman has worked for newspapers, including the Destin Log, the Pensacola News-Journal and the Raleigh Public Record. Born in England, he’d still live in Florida if he hadn’t met the perfect woman and moved to Durham to marry her. He’s the author of several film reference books and has published one novel and several short story collections. This reporter can be reached at: Information@TheLocal Reporter.press.