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Aurora committee endorses McCarty Park playground plan

The Beacon-News - 9/12/2020

Sep. 12--An Aurora City Council committee has supported a plan to put a playground in McCarty Park that is accessible to people with disabilities.

Aldermen on the Finance Committee voted 4-0 recently to recommend an award of $155,246 to BCI Burke to install the playground in the city's oldest park, originally platted in 1835, on the near East Side.

The city refers to McCarty as a "legacy park," and Alex Alexandrou, the city's chief management officer, said the playground is part of the city "emphasizing our legacy parks." He said similar playgrounds eventually will be in Garfield and Phillips parks, also legacy parks.

"We're trying to attract people to our legacy parks," Alexandrou said. "This will enhance the experience and value at city parks. We are taking a cue from the Fox Valley Park District, which already does this."

Gio Santana, superintendent of the city parks, said he and his staff started last year doing an Americans with Disabilities Act audit of city parks to see how many had accessible playground equipment, and found "we didn't have much in the way of accessible equipment."

The playground will fit in with the splash pad already there, which is frequented by many children accompanied by their parents from the surrounding neighborhoods, he said. McCarty Park sits in the middle of a high density area along with multiple day cares that are within walking distance from the playground.

BCI Burke specializes in playgrounds that are accessible to people with disabilities. The city recently contributed $100,000 toward building an accessible playground at Hope D. Wall School, a project that includes the city's school districts and the Fox Valley Park District.

McCarty Park also is just east of Wayside Cross Ministries, and the city said because it is within 500 feet of the mission, Wayside could not house convicted child sex offenders in its Master's Touch program any more. The program also treats substance abusers.

City officials have already said McCarty Park is a playground because of the number of area children it attracts.

The contract with BCI Burke is due for a City Council vote on Sept. 22.

slord@tribpub.com

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