Playground and Recreation Committee

By Courtney James

The FHNA Board has created a volunteer committee to focus on the playground and recreation in the park.  The work of this committee is a response to the results of the 2004/2005 Master Planning Process which included a neighborhood survey and several community planning meetings. The FHNA Board adopted the outcome from this process as Forest Hills Neighborhood Association Position Statement on Forest Hills Park which lists the Board's goals and objectives for the park.

The Board tasked our group with selecting some Goals and Objectives to tackle. We were asked to cost out the materials and equipment, get permission from Durham Parks and Recreation, and negotiate for cost sharing or installation, if possible.

We're targeting two Goals: Maintain and improve the playground and Provide additional shaded seating. The Objectives that we're targeting are: Provide shade at the playground and Add picnic tables under oak trees near playground.

In terms of shade, there will be 3 or 4 shade trees planted by the city on the playground to replace dead trees.  An additional 7 medium and large trees will be planted by the city around the perimeter of the park this spring. When the weather warms up and the sun is hot overhead we'll investigate the possibility of using shade sails over parts of the playground. 

We're planning to start with 6 picnic tables that will be placed around the playground, but can be moved together or apart to serve small or larger groups.  Lastly, we have already replaced several of the rusted trash cans and added additional cans.

The next step for our committee is to target the Objective: Provide new facilities for older kids. We'll research recreational desires then propose equipment and activities for school-aged children and adults.  We will be hosting an open meeting for the neighborhood to come and talk about ideas that relate to this topic. 

In the meantime, if you would like to contact someone on the committee with a question, comment, or because you want to get involved, use the following contact information. We encourage your participation!