BY TRAVIS STEWART | The Dan Carpenter Community Room at Hudson Guild’s W. 26th St. Elliott Center was the site of a “charrette,” or stakeholders’ brainstorming session, concerning the future of the Chelsea Waterside Play Area. Convened by the Friends of Hudson River Park Playground Committee, the Mon., Jan. 25 meeting was presented as an opportunity for the community to contribute ideas and concerns about the space, to help the committee make their decisions about the design and construction of the renovated park.
Located at W. 23rd St. and 11th Ave., the park has gone through many incarnations since it was first acquired by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation in 1915. From 1923 through 2000, it was known as Thomas F. Smith Park, in honor of a Tammany Hall politician. A campaign begun in the early 1980s resulted in an expanded, renovated park renamed the Chelsea Waterside Play Area. Designed by Thomas Balsley, the play area features colorful, modern equipment designed by the Danish firm Kompan, including the popular water-spouting “chess piece” statues that form the park’s centerpiece.
Fifteen years down the line, however, there has been wear and tear, and concerned parents and activists have reported a variety of aesthetic and safety-related concerns — including drainage problems, degraded safety surfaces, sharp edges on playground equipment, several non-functioning park features, and a concrete wall that tempts kids to climb (and occasionally fall off) it.
To address these and other issues, the Friends of Hudson River Park, which has jurisdiction over the playground, has announced a $1.5 capital campaign. City Councilmember Corey Johnson has pledged half that amount in city money, and other lead funders include committee members (and capital campaign chairs) Greg and Melissa Wasserman, and The Philip and Janice Levin Foundation — which will match all gifts received through March 31 up to $150,000. The committee’s plan is to raise money through fall of this year, when work on the park will begin, with the goal of a spring 2017 re-opening.
Greg Wasserman led off the Monday meeting on behalf of the committee, citing it as part of a process that has also included surveys conducted at the park, at local schools, on social media, and through the office of Councilmember Johnson. An earlier presentation was made at the Dec. 10, 2015 meeting of Community Board 4’s Waterfronts, Parks & Environment Committee.
The bulk of the session was moderated by Signe Nielsen, of Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects, which is consulting on the project. She mentioned her firm’s recent experience renovating several local playgrounds, pointing out that she and the firm are well-versed in current New York City safety regulations.
Nielsen enumerated the playground’s safety issues, and showed a PowerPoint Presentation outlining possible new directions for the play area, including themes ranging from the nature-based (incorporating elements like tree logs) to a more graphic, visually-based approach similar to the one now in place. A key issue she broached was the fact that the current configuration has but a single drain to collect all the water in the park, which often gets clogged, causing frequent back-ups.
Dealing with this and the worn-out safety surface will likely necessitate the moving of some playground features, and the elimination of others, according to Nielsen. “We don’t want to eradicate the good things,” Nielsen said. “Think of this as a blank slate on which we have the opportunity to draw.”
About two dozen neighborhood parents and grandparents were in attendance. Most of those present shared their thoughts. Their concerns about the existing space included “chaotic traffic patterns,” a lack of shade and places to sit, a need to protect smaller children from the wilder play of older children, and most of the above-mentioned safety issues.
Various participants expressed hopes for such elements as more trees, artificial topographical features (i.e., small hills), boulders, and real or synthetic turf. Several expressed a desire to “keep it simple” and to leave ample space “for kids to run around in.”
The youngest in attendance at the meeting was easily 10-year-old Lane, who sat next to her mom, and boldly contributed the perspective of a bona fide, current playground user. She listed her favorite activities as “running and jumping over things,” “playing King of the Mountain” and “twirling around.” She cautioned the committee to “think like a child” in order to build a park “everyone can use.”
At the other end of the life experience spectrum was Robert Trentlyon, founder and former longtime president of the Chelsea Waterside Park Association, and one of the prime advocates/organizers of the 2000 renovation. Trentlyon was adamant that the present renovation ought to retain the distinctive architectural elements introduced in the 2000 design. He urged that the present Balsley-designed water towers be retained, adding, “If they are taken out, I will do everything in my power to see that they’re replaced.” Nielsen reiterated that no decisions have been made as yet about the future configuration of the playground.
The Friends of Hudson River Park Playground Committee (hudsonriverpark.org/playground) has also announced an “inaugural luncheon,” to take place on Fri., Jan. 29, with proceeds “to benefit the Park’s maintenance, beautification and operational needs.” Councilmember Johnson and New York State Senator Brad Hoylman, both longtime advocates of Hudson River Park, are expected to attend.
