Resistance

The Stoughton Inclusive Dream Park is meeting some resistance regarding the location we have chosen. While we are looking at a few other options it seems that East Side Park is a desirable location for many reasons.

1. One of them is shade. We have spoken with many people at other parks and the primary complaint among people is a lack of shade. People have said they do not utilize the parks as much during peak daylight hours due to the heat and sun exposure. This is a big concern because the park should be available all of the hours it is open. Additionally, there are a number of people who may utilize the playground who have sensitivity to sunlight due to medication or other reasons. Again this is a concern and a main reason we chose East Side Park. 
2. Another reason we chose East Side Park is the existing shelter. While it would increase our budget to build on a side without a shelter or a shelter that would require updating this is not the main concern but rather we are concerned about distance to the playground for people. People with various disabilities will find it difficult to travel long distances to the playground. Additionally, it is not always a positive experience for playground visitors to attempt to corral children to take one child to the restroom so a restroom or shelter that is closer will be more ideal than not. Additionally, if there is an existing shelter it is important that the shelter restrooms be able to be updated, or are already, accessible to people with disabilities.
3. Another consideration is levelness of the park. Due to the inclusive nature of this project it is important that the park and proposed playground, parking and travel space to the shelter be relatively level as there are certain requirements for wheelchair accessibility. 
4. Safety is another concern. it is imperative that safety be considered no mater what site is chosen and some of the concerns are speed of traffic and potential for injury. Some of the parks have baseball diamonds and children and people with disabilities are more likely to be less able to respond rapidly to an object flying through the air. Another consideration is regular liquor consumption. Occasional usage at the shelter is much different than alcohol consumption weekly at baseball games as we see it. 
5. Proximity to downtown- this project is designed to benefit the entire community. People of all ages and abilities. Aside from offering recreational equipment for small children and older adults or various abilities we are seeking to provide a benefit for the business community by increasing the amount of tourism to our community. We really want to share the beautiful community that we live in with others and our local businesses really cannot be beat. As a result it is important to us to locate the park as near to downtown as possible and require people who visit from out of town to see our wonderful downtown and all it has to offer just by the geographical placement of the park. As a result parks located on the perimeter of Stoughton are much less desirable than ones located downtown. We feel including the business community will also help us raise funds more effectively. 
6. Ecological Considerations- there are certain types of vegetation that will be harmful to the poured in place rubber surfacing that is required for the accessible nature of the project. Trees that form new trees by producing sucker root systems will likely damage the very expensive surface. 

Ultimately we are hoping to blend with the beauty of our community and the natural area we seek to improve. We are hoping that people can see the enormous benefit of our project and that we do not seek to benefit one specific population but rather our entire population as a whole. We are planning to blend with the historic feel of the community and add features like a clock tower replica and Norwegian influences.  We hope that we can move forward with this project and hope you will join in supporting us.

If you have questions or concerns PLEASE email me at stoughtondreampark@gmail.com or call 608-873-3562 . We are happy to discuss the project with you.

Thanks for reading and have a great day!