Initiate Safety Improvements for the Playground at Sweat Mountain Park

Initiate Safety Improvements for the Playground at Sweat Mountain Park

Recent signers:
April Avalos and 19 others have signed recently.

The Issue

My daughter experienced a traumatic event at the unsafe playground of Sweat Mountain Park, suffering a concussion after falling. Unfortunately, her case is far from being an isolated incident. This playground has a notorious history of causing countless broken bones due to its current state of disrepair, leading many parents to distrust its safety and avoid letting their children play there. 

Recent studies demonstrate that poor playground design and maintenance contribute significantly to the number of injuries experienced by children. We maintain that rebuilding and updating the playground equipment, using modern safety standards could drastically reduce these risks.

This playground should be a place where children can foster imagination, social skills and physical health. Yet, instead it has become a source of fear and danger imbued with potential risks that could have long-lasting impacts. We implore our local authorities to take immediate action and prioritize the renovation of this playground for the safety and well-being of our children.

Every signature on this petition is a call to invest in our community, protect our children, and revitalize the playground at Sweat Mountain Park. Please sign this petition to initiate the much-needed safety improvements for the playground.

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Recent signers:
April Avalos and 19 others have signed recently.

The Issue

My daughter experienced a traumatic event at the unsafe playground of Sweat Mountain Park, suffering a concussion after falling. Unfortunately, her case is far from being an isolated incident. This playground has a notorious history of causing countless broken bones due to its current state of disrepair, leading many parents to distrust its safety and avoid letting their children play there. 

Recent studies demonstrate that poor playground design and maintenance contribute significantly to the number of injuries experienced by children. We maintain that rebuilding and updating the playground equipment, using modern safety standards could drastically reduce these risks.

This playground should be a place where children can foster imagination, social skills and physical health. Yet, instead it has become a source of fear and danger imbued with potential risks that could have long-lasting impacts. We implore our local authorities to take immediate action and prioritize the renovation of this playground for the safety and well-being of our children.

Every signature on this petition is a call to invest in our community, protect our children, and revitalize the playground at Sweat Mountain Park. Please sign this petition to initiate the much-needed safety improvements for the playground.

The Decision Makers

Cobb County Commission
3 Members
1 Responded
Joann Birrell
Cobb County Commission - District 3
Please see response below from communications director: 1. Is the county aware of Ms. Corso's petition and her calls for safer conditions on the playground? The District Commissioner contacted PARKS about this on Saturday. PARKS sent staff immediately to Sweat Mountain. No defects/maintenance issues were found. 2. Ms. Corso claims the "poor playground design and maintenance" is what led to her daughter being injured, does the county have a response they would like to provide to this claim? The playground was bought through BCIBurke, a national playground company. BCIBurke has multiple certifications including NSF and IPEMA, both recognized as safety certifications for playgrounds. Each playground is certified through ASTM and ISO 9001. As for maintenance, our playgrounds are checked regularly by staff and no issues have been identified, nor have we received any complaints. 3. According to the petition, the Sweat Mountain Park playground has a notorious history of causing "countless broken bones due to its current state of disrepair." Does the county have any numbers or information regarding injuries at this playground? We have received no complaints about this playground, nor reports of “countless broken bones”. We have asked our Risk Management Department if any reports have come into them, and they do not have anything from this playground. We also asked the President of Sandy Plains Baseball, the organization at Sweat Mountain Park, if they are aware of any issues, and they have received no complaints from the playground. 4. Are there any plans being made by the county to update this equipment? If so, what is the current status of those plans? The playground was installed properly in 2020. Most playgrounds have a life of 10-20 years, depending upon various factors including wear/tear, usage, exposure to sun/rain, certain amenities being used more frequently, etc. Cobb County PARKS does not feel that this playground should be updated for at least another 5-7 years.
Monique Sheffield
Cobb County Commission - District 4
Keli Gambrill
Cobb County Commission - District 1

Petition Updates