GLENWOOD, W. Va. -The playground area at the front of the Glenwood Park has been permanently closed, with the planned removal of everything built in this area. County Commissioner Greg Puckett says, while flooding isn’t unusual here, the recent flooding the park received has made the area unsafe for kids.
“…We did sustain quite a bit of damage. You know… when the flood came through, it raised it up to levels that, you know, were beyond what we had anticipated for that area. Although we had seen flooding in the past, it sort of took the playground and maybe… I want to say, compromised the integrity of those structures…” says Puckett.
The area had been due for improvements for some time, with renovations in the works for close to a decade, not just in the playground area, but for the entire park.
Fourteen dam projects are scheduled for Mercer County, with plans to improve the integrity of the dams and drain the lake at the park in the process, to add depth and control the algae problem. Puckett says the dams are important to maintain, both for the viability of the water source and for the safety and security of the community.
“Thankfully, the dam was there when this last round of flooding came through. Had that dam not been there, it is a retention dam on Brush Creek watershed, if it had not been there, Stafford Drive would have been completely underwater, so that’s why these dams are so important, and that’s why the rehabilitation is sort of a work in progress,” says Puckett.
Puckett says recent and future additions to the park are keeping flooding in mind, with around $750,000 already spent on projects higher up the mountain, such as the amphitheater, shelter, and another playground. As for the playground, putt-putt course, and picnic shelters at the entrance, he says those things may be moved to higher ground as well, once the completed dam renovation shows them where they can safely build.
Puckett says you will be able to enjoy the rest of the park when it opens again at the beginning of April. He wants to remind residents that these projects take time and encourages them to remain patient.
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