38-Foot Slide to Atwater Beach Among Proposed Playground Upgrades

Anyone who has made the trip down the steps to Atwater Beach knows it’s quite the trek.

So, why not slide down?

That’s not exactly the inspiration behind a 38-foot slide hugging the bluff at Atwater Beach, but part of a drive to update the playground equipment on Shorewood’s vista to Lake Michigan.

A sub-committee of Shorewood’s Park Commission has proposed the slide, but village trustees are concerned about the impact on the bluff’s stability. The proposal also includes three new pieces of equipment.

Ann McKaig, a member of the sub-committee, has been working closely with Friends of Atwater Beach (FAB). She said that organization is willing to donate the equipment and set up the landscaping, negating any village funding. However, the Village Board will have to approve the project.

The proposed playground updates include a double arch swing that McKaig described as a tire swing but with a disk, an oval net structure for climbing and a merry-go-round type structure coined the Spinneround. The equipment is manufactured by Canada-based Elephant Play and would be installed by Play Focused Solutions, a local company.

“We wanted to create a really different kind of play experience that is site specific, doesn’t duplicate what else is around and that caters to really all ages,” McKaig said.

Everything but the slide

While some trustees expressed concern about damage to protected vegetation near the beach, trustees generally agreed to move forward with everything but the slide.

The slide, which would be installed by Wisconsin company Lee Recreation, would require cutting into the bluff. The proposal includes building a rock climb to get to the top of the slide from the beach.

as contractors worked to stabilize the bluff. With the village just completing the $960,000 project, officials said they were uneasy about disturbing the bluff.

“I’m really concerned about touching the bluff,” Trustee Michael Maher said. “We really can’t afford any more money to stabilize it. Are there other things we can do that will add value to the park?”

McKaig said a consultant gave her the OK on installing the slide and rock climb on the bluff, but trustees said they would need more assurance that installing the slide wouldn’t negate all the work just performed to stabilize it.

Village President Guy Johnson said perhaps the committee should look at a shorter slide.

Raising funds now

Equipment and design costs are estimated at $115,000. FAB member Alicia Urban said the group has been fundraising for the project and has received about $40,000 in donations thus far.

The group hopes to hold a community beach party in mid-June, with the new equipment installed.