Menotomy Rocks Park Playground Relocation

April 2021 – The Town of Arlington has hired a consulting firm to review safety and accessibility issues for all playgrounds in Arlington. The playground in Menotomy Rocks Park has come up short in a number of areas and the Parks & Recreation Commission plans to re-locate and build a new playground, probably within the next year or so when funding becomes available.

Some of the issues for the current Park playground include:

• Tree roots impinging on part of the path to the playground from the main pathway make handicap accessibility difficult.
• The tree in the middle of the playground is hazardous because of the possibility of limbs breaking off and falling.
• The structures are too close together and do not meet the current spacing The equipment was found to be in “very poor” condition.

The Parks & Recreation Department plans to hold public meetings to allow for citizen input about a new playground and its location.

According to US regulations about playground safety, https://cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/325.pdf, sun exposure is a hazard; providing a shaded area or a nearby shaded area is recommended. Locations near roads with traffic or near bodies of water are not recommended. Things to think about as you stroll around the Park.