Chadwick Park, Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar: 1501 Oberlin Street
Lots of younger residents look forward to spray parks when summer weather arrives. In my travels throughout Pittsburgh this past year, I’ve seen plenty of new or relatively new spray parks. It wasn’t until I came to Chadwick Park in Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar that I encountered what I’ll politely call a “vintage” spray park: two wall-mounted sprayers attached to a small utility building. Here, water continually sprays onto a cement slab slick with moss and stagnant water. Needless to say, nothing about this configuration is appealing or refreshing. Which is a shame because the lower section of the park, with its relatively new basketball court and football and soccer fields, is well cared for and inviting.
Back in the early 1990s, when the City’s financial troubles forced the closure of many public pools, spray features affixed to pre-existing water lines were a cost-effective way to offer “cooling” during the summer months. The theory is reasonable, but the application leaves a lot to be desired when basic updates don’t occur. The upper section of Chadwick, with its deteriorating playground and water feature, is a good example of what neglect looks like.
But hopefully, this sad state of affairs will soon be in the past. EngagePGH, the City’s public website for the Planning Department, recently published several playground and spray park plans for residents to review and vote on. If all goes well, work could begin later this year. Change for Chadwick can’t come fast enough!
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