Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Our community came together, and with the support of the Borough we made a huge difference in the Park. Years of overgrowth, decay, and dirt were driven back by your hard work.
Special thanks goes out to Jared from the Nine Mile Run Watershed Association, who did most of the tree cutting and trimming for us to ensure we left clean, healthy trees behind. Likewise, special thanks to the guys from Wilkinsburg’s DPW who were able to bring the heavy machinery to clear the park same-day. Finally, Mifflin Avenue United Methodist sent a group of volunteers, and 3rd Ward Councilman Michael Lefebvre and some members of the Parks and Recreation board rounded it out.
Take a look at the gallery and you’ll see the transformation.
The Next Steps
This was just step one in our journey, but it was a big step. Now, join us for step 2 of the process!
The Environmental Charter School‘s Lower School is planning a unit on Urban Planning focused on our Park. To do this right, they want to have the kids poll the community about ideas for the park space:
“3rd graders at the Environmental Charter School are learning about Community Planning and want to find out what people value in their communities. They also want to know more about what people envision for public spaces in their neighborhoods. If you are interested in helping them learn more about this, please provide us with your contact info and we will include you in our survey. Hopefully we can be of help by collecting your ideas around this space.”
To distribute the survey, they’re gathering contact information. If you haven’t Subscribed to the Peebles Block Club Updates yet, now’s a great time – We’ll share your email address with ECS and you can voice your opinions about the Park. Talk to your neighbors and ask them to sign up too – we want to hear from as many local residents as possible. You can also email Deirdre Keller at deirdre.keller@ecspgh.org directly if you prefer to share your contact information that way.
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The poll should occur in the coming weeks, after the unit starts. The kids will take the feedback and turn it into designs and ideas for the park.
We’ll present these ideas and gather more public feedback – online, at public meetings, etc. – to guide us towards a final design for the space. It’s a public space, so we’ll need lots of public opinion to proceed.
Short Term
Gathering information, generating a design, getting it approved, and funding it will take a long time – it’s a multi-year project. There’s still a lot we can do now, though, to make the space more usable for everyone.
Wilkinsburg’s DPW will return for more waste and to remove a dead tree this week. There is a little bit of more cleaning, clearing, and touch-up to do in a few areas, which will be done as time allows.
The basketball hoop in place is on its last leg. We’d like to find a portable-style freestanding basketball hoop to replace it with, particularly as we finish clearing the paved area. Keep an eye on Craigslist or local message boards for a cheap used model or someone willing to donate it. New ones of decent quality are not especially expensive, but we’ve not yet raised any funds.
We’d also like to build some horseshoe pits. These will be inexpensive, but restore and encourage an activity that neighbors enjoy doing here.
If you have any interest in donating money or labor to any particular improvements, drop us a line!