The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
The kids are suggesting pirate ships and whales
by Mark Reaman
Meetings are taking place to help design a new playground to be located behind the renovated Crested Butte Center for the Arts once the Center is expanded. Town staff began gathering ideas earlier this month by engaging Crested Butte Community School students for their ideas.
The kids in Molly Frame’s first grade class offered their ideas on what a new park should include. They suggested everything from a new pirate ship with whales to multi-story slides into magical gardens.
On Monday, September 12, the town held a public meeting to gather input from adults and a broader range of kids. About nine people attended the gathering. Their ideas included tree houses, art play sculptures, long swings, and “mining” tunnels for kids to crawl through.
The town staff and park’s consulting firm Mundus Bishop will now take all the ideas and condense them into a workable plan. The first draft of that plan will be presented at an open house on Thursday, September 29 between 5:30 and 7 p.m. at the Crested Butte Town Hall.
“Community input, especially from the kids who will be playing at the new Yelenick Playground, is really important to the process,” commented Crested Butte parks and recreation director Janna Hansen. “There are plans for an additional classroom visit to gather input and the public will have another opportunity to eat some snacks and share their ideas on the 29th.”
