Madison Park Design Charrette

[Michael Fleenor]

Friend's Group Plans Design Charrette for Madison Park

The Friends of Madison Park will be holding a design charrette on Saturday, April 26 from 9a.m. to noon at 13303 Madison Avenue, the church on the corner of Madison and Clarence avenues, next to the Madison branch library. A "charrette" is a collaborative session where a group of stakeholders, promoting joint ownership, drafts a solution to a design problem.

The playground equipment at Madison is dated and damaged and is scheduled to be removed and replaced by the City. The Friends group has been looking at potential equipment and appropriate locations, but the goal of the charrette is to create a community vision or "master plan" for the park. Participants will look at the main features of the Park and attempt to answer the following questions: What works and what doesn't? How is the park currently used and how do we want it to be used? What can we do to make the park all that it can be?--to increase the use of the park and strengthen circulation and the connections to the library, pool, and surrounding neighborhood? What site amenities would make the park feel safer and more comfortable? How can we connect with and reflect the rich history, ethnic diversity, and artistic spirit of the surrounding neighborhood? Most importantly, what will it take to make our vision a reality? The Friends appreciate the leadership of Mayor Fitzgerald in advocating for replacement of the playground equipment and the support and participation by the City--our councilwoman, Mary Louise Madigan; Dave Seaman of Parks and Nate Kelley of Planning and Development. All community stakeholders--families with children, soccer and softball participants, community gardeners, neighborhood artists and historians, and everyone else who would like to participate are encouraged to attend to help in the "re-creation" of Madison.

If you plan to attend the charrette, RSVP to friendsofmadisonpark@gmail.com so we know how many people to expect. If you have a question or would like to make a donation to the Friends of Madison Park, contact Michael Fleenor at 216-773-4462.

[sharon kinsella]

Um - basketball hoops - teens are people too!

[Colleen Sullivan]

Weren't the hoops taken down because of poor behavior choices? If that is the case do not put them back. I would not want my kids playing at a playground with a bunch of kids that are not setting a good example.