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The Oakville Beaver, Friday June 2, 2006 - 23 LIESA KORTMANN / OAKVILLE BEAVER UNEXPECTED ARRIVAL: The site of a northeast Oakville parkette/playground that was awaited by some residents and totally unexpected by others. Playground surprise By Angela Blackburn OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF The long-awaited arrival of a playground has pit street against street in northeast Oakville's Iroquois Ridge North community because while some have been waiting for it impatiently, it came as a complete surprise to others. Ward 6 Councillors Janice Wright and Tom Adams have been doing damage control and trying to sort out the messy issue. Hindsight being 20/20 some things could have been done differently and maybe the friction could have been avoided -- or better mitigated, admitted Wright. Now, everyone is going to have to compromise somehow. About mid-May, bulldozers arrived on Woodington Lane and began to mow down trees in a naturalized area. Residents living across the street in Fernbrook-built condominiums were quick to ask what the heck was going on. Area councillors quickly arranged a meeting with Town of Oakville staff and asked that work be stopped until everyone ascertained what was happening. What was happening is that construction of a parkette and playground that's been on the books since 1998 had finally made its way on to the list of budgeted projects this year. The parkette/playground is being built on one half of a natural area. The other half will remain natural. Yet news of the long-proposed playground came as a complete surprise to its Woodington Lane neighbours, some of whom moved into their condos to retire. Wright said the condo-dwellers had moved in expecting the area to remain natural. Not so their neighbours around the corner on Nena Crescent however. Those folks, many of whom have children, moved into their Ashley Oak Homes-built homes and have been waiting impatiently for the playground. According to Wright, the closest parkette has what amounts to a time limit and waiting list for use of the swings. According to Adams, there is a sign on site indicating the area was to be a natural area. However, confusion has ensued because a sign indicating the other half was to be a playground was removed during construction. The entire plans were avail- able in the sales offices for both developers. Now with everyone aware of the plans, the condo-dwellers have raised the issue of liability -- the condo corporation doesn't want liability if people use its visitors parking to go to the park, or if people cross over its property to get to the park. That has been dubbed stalling by many waiting for the playground -- more than 50 children are ready to go to the park. At the same time, those residents have complaints about speeding to get into the condo area, said Wright. Wright said the councillors are attempting to work with the parties, but advised separate meetings with the interested parties may be best at this point. "We're going to work with it, work with both sets of folks, but it may not be in the same room at the same time at this point. There's going to clearly have to be some compromise here," said Wright. Even the meetings with the parties is seen as a snub by some who believe they're being cut out. In retrospect, Wright said if the Town had served notice to the nearby residents of the intentions to excavate, it would have brought issues to light sooner. Had that happened, more options may have been explored -- like flipping the playground for the natural area. Now, trees have been removed -- most of them regrowth in a hydro corridor -- and digging begun so it's not an option. While councillors are attempting to iron out the liability concerns, they say the playground construction is set to get back on track in early June. That should deliver the playground this summer. Adams said it's meant to be a walk-to, neighbourhood park, not a ball diamond or soccer field. It's meant to be used by the families in the immediate area. "It has resulted in a community divided," said Wright who admitted she hopes the divide can be bridged. "It's messy, but I'm hoping we can find some way to united this community," said Wright. Usually having a park is an asset to a community, but it does come with issues of liability, after-hours use, possible need for lighting and the like. Adams admitted however that for the Woodington Lane residents, the park has come as a "nasty surprise."