CHINA GROVE — Due to playground equipment being deemed unsafe, China Grove town officials are closing a town park this week to remove the structures.

According to information from the China Grove Parks and Recreation Department, during a recent park inspection of West Haven Park, located at 930 Mitchell Ave., various safety concerns were brought to the attention of staff.

Due to those safety concerns, the main play structure of the playground has been closed and will be removed from the park.

West Haven Park will temporarily close from Tuesday, Sept. 26, through Thursday, Sept. 28, to remove the play structure.

The park is expected to reopen by the end of the day on Thursday.

Parks and Recreation Director Jill Sellers, who previously served as China Grove event coordinator, is a playground safety inspector certified through the National Parks and Recreation Association.

She received that certification in May and has since been inspecting the parks around China Grove, looking for areas to prioritize refurbishment.

“This one came up as our No. 1 priority after those inspections,” Sellers said.

Sellers said that the structure, which is being removed, is 25-30 years old.

“It has reached the end of its life,” Sellers said. “Typically structures have a 25-30-year life.”

The playground equipment was moved to West Haven Park about seven years ago.

“China Grove knew then that it was close to the end of its life but thought that by moving it to a slower park, it would extend the life (of the equipment),” Sellers said.

According to Sellers, the equipment was reaching a level of rust that could make them dangerously unsupportive of excess weight.

“Parents might get on the structure with kids,” Sellers said. “When you add that weight on a platform that is rusty (someone could get hurt).”

All other park features will remain, including the picnic benches, swings, roller log, overhead rotating equipment and freestanding climbing structure.

However, the entire park will be closed while the playground equipment is replaced for safety reasons.

“We are closing it so nobody is potentially around the heavy equipment that we are going to use to remove the playground set,” Sellers said.

Town officials noted that weather or other conditions may change that schedule.

Following the park’s reopening, contractors will refresh the wood-chip surfacing next month.

As a mother, Sellers said it was heartbreaking to be taking the playground away from a neighborhood like West Haven, so she is eager to get the ball rolling on replacing it.

Sellers and other town staff, along with the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, are working to develop a comprehensive plan to replace the play structure.

“I’m optimistic that we can replace that structure for a lot less than what most people will think, so hopefully, the council will get behind replacing it with something else that will have a 30-year life expectancy,” Sellers said.

During those meetings, public input is welcome. Town staff are encouraging those who frequently use the park to attend the next meeting, which will take place at Community Memorial Park, located at 412 S. Myrtle Ave., in China Grove, on Oct. 17 at 6 p.m.

One West Haven resident, Savannah Short, said that the playground equipment seemed like it had “run its course” but “made a lot of kids happy” in the process.

Short added, “It’s definitely time to let it go. It’s old and not sturdy.”

Short’s little brother, who goes to China Grove Elementary, has spent numerous afternoons playing in the neighborhood park with his friends. On Monday, she said her brother had stopped going to the park, offering a troubling explanation.

“We’ve been having issues with adults going over to the park doing their drugs,” Short said.

According to the West Haven resident, paraphernalia is being left where children playing can find it.

Short said that she had reported it to the China Grove Police Department and that officers had come out to the scene. China Grove Police Chief Andrew Deal said he was unsure of any recent incident with drugs at that park but said that there had been some calls made concerning drugs in the park in the past.

Sellers said she encourages anyone in the community to call the police if they see anything suspicious at West Haven or any other China Grove park.
“The park is a little bit outdated,” Sellers said. “If a new structure comes in and we get some new lighting and freshen it up, it will show the community we care about that park.”

Sellers said she believes that would deter possible criminal behavior.

Anyone with additional questions or concerns regarding China Grove’s planned park projects can call town hall at 704-857-2466 ext. 2105 or email jsellers@chinagrovenc.gov.