The sensory playground in South Elgin’s SEBA Park is closed through next week so its surface area can be replaced, according to Kim Wascher, the village’s parks and recreation director.
There are two areas with pour-in-place surfacing, a type of material that was “starting to deteriorate,” Wascher said.
While the playground was passing its safety inspections, the decision was to be proactive and replace the material now at a cost of $193,000, she said.
Janelle Walker, The Courier-News
Children play at the SEBA Park playground in South Elgin in 2017, the year it received the Facility of the Year award from the Illinois Park and Recreation Association. The playground is closed through next week so new a new surface can be installed. (The Courier-News)
SEBA’s playground opened in August 2015, which is not a lot of time for such a venue, but this one gets a lot of use, Wascher said.
“We get at least five to 10 school buses a week during the school year with students from special education classrooms who use the park and the shelter,” Wascher said. “It’s a lot of foot traffic, and it’s heavily used in the summer months.”
Surface materials are better made now than they had been a decade ago, and the replacement should last longer than the original, she said.
Project funding is coming from the village’s 58 tax levy, which is earmarked to cover the cost of special recreation amenities and initiatives, Wascher said. It helps ensure the park and recreation’s facilities and programs are accessible to everyone, she said.
“This is the first playground in the state of Illinois to be fully accessible from the ground up to the second level, where you can transfer from a wheelchair and go down a slide,” Wascher said.
SEBA Park has other playground equipment for those with sensory disorders, including swings and slides, she said. Its garden features plants and scents that help people relax, she said.
The South Elgin Parks and Recreation Department has been acknowledged for it dedication to serving those with special needs. In 2017, it received the Facility of the Year award from the Illinois Park and Recreation Association for SEBA Park.
Wascher said the current playground has another 10 to 15 years before equipment will need to be replaced, according to a department analysis. The community that uses it takes care of the area and it doesn’t get a lot of vandalism, both of which help preserve its lifespan, she said.
The park has been closed for a week, but the work is progressing steadily, Wascher said. Once an inspection is conducted, it should be reopened by Tuesday, she said.
Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
