Hinsdale staff outline $200,000 plan to replace Dietz (Deets) Park playground; residents weigh in

Village staff presented plans to replace the aging playground at Dietz (commonly called "Deets" or the "Hippo" park) and asked residents for feedback at the Parks and Recreation Commission meeting on July 14. The project is listed in the capital improvement program with a $200,000 allocation and staff said they are working with Cunningham/GameTime through a joint-purchasing arrangement to meet tight equipment-ordering timelines.

The presentation emphasized the park’s small footprint and equipment age. "Dietz is our currently our oldest park in the village," a parks staff member said, explaining that several components had been removed after damage or because parts could not be sourced. Mike Collins, the village’s superintendent for forestry and parks, told commissioners he was "very excited to be here" and described his history maintaining similarly historic parks.

Why it matters: Dietz functions as a neighborhood park for families with small lots nearby, and staff said they want replacements that fit the existing square footprint while meeting modern fall-zone and ADA spacing requirements. Staff also plans to replace wood fiber mulch and install drainage tile to reduce sogginess after heavy rains.

Residents urged preserving the park’s character and providing play elements for multiple ages. McKenna Milkey, who said she lives across from Deets Park, called it "our home park" and asked that the design include elements that keep little children safe while offering challenges for older kids. Another nearby parent noted the park’s local identity — "people call it the Hippo Park" — and urged continued community engagement in design decisions.

Commissioners and staff addressed trade-offs: with the existing square footprint and the $200,000 budget, staff said the project will use an off-the-shelf vendor package that can be customized with swapped slides, swings or color palettes, but is unlikely to be a fully bespoke design like some recent village playgrounds. "This is more of an out of the box design approach," a staff presenter said. Staff emphasized the master-plan process will run in parallel and that the consultant’s inventory and survey results — which reached a statistically valid sample — will inform future, larger-scale choices.

On color and surface heat, residents and commissioners recommended lighter palettes to limit overheating on slides; staff said they will include lighter options in renderings. Several children at the meeting suggested "ninja" or parkour-style elements; staff said an adventure/hybrid style is one of the options to be considered if it fits the footprint and budget.

Next steps: Staff will work with the vendor to produce renderings that incorporate resident feedback, coordinate those with the master-plan consultant, and return proposals within the $200,000 CIP constraint. The commission did not take a formal vote on the playground this meeting and directed staff to bring draft renderings and budget details to a future meeting.

The commission moved on to liaison and other reports after the discussion; staff said the master-plan draft is expected by late August or early September.