Mt. Pleasant's Timber Town redesign could threaten history, locals say By Adrian Hedden, @AdrianHedden Sunday, October 18, 2015 Dan Marvin remembers when his three adult daughters were in grade school. He remembers when his community needed their help, and Kristen, Kelli and Lauren took up screwdrivers to assist their dad. Marvin's oldest, Kristen, was just in fifth grade in the fall of 1994. Even as children, she and her sisters were dedicated to helping build Timber Town Playscape in Island Park. "They put in a lot of time on that project we all did," Marvin said. "Not many communities have something like that that they all touched." As the city recently announced plans to replace the play structure in fall 2016, many local residents including Marvin were concerned the historical value of Timber Town could be lost. A citywide effort, Timber Town was built with a $150,000 budget of donations, one week of construction and about 3,000 local volunteers. Marvin designed the signs that display the structure's name, which was created by his daughters and chosen in a contest. He left their names grouted into the back of both signs. "Virtually every child in Mt. Pleasant schools had at least some part in it," Marvin said. "They brought them by the busload. Most just washed screws, but every kid did something which was amazing." Marvin remembers a young couple who volunteered at the site. He said they were so proud of its completion, they held their wedding on the wooden planks and boards that provide walkways and landings throughout the castlelike structure. "They poored their hearts and souls into it, and thought they should get married on it," Marvin said. "(The city) is underestimating the value of all that effort. It's kind of like when you have a house and it's sad to see it demolished." Despite plans to replace the aging wood with a composite lumber material, in hopes of modernizing the playground, Marvin warned that tearing down the structure would pose an affront to the efforts of his community. As the city is planning to start a committee and seek input from locals, and those involved in the original project, Marvin said he hopes any remodeling will recognize the memories saved in wood by the labor of his neighbors. He worried the new project would lose its personality. "It will no longer be a community project," he said. "I think it is important to have something we all touched. He said he has redone the signs three times in the last 20 years, and Marvin said he would do it for another 20. "There's a wall that I built (in the structure)," Marvin said. "Every time I look down there, I remember." Not aging gracefully Timber Town was not how Nancy McGuirk remembered it during a visit last July. She had her grandchildren in town from Arizona this summer, and took them down to see how the landmark was holding up. McGuirk, an member of Timber Town's original fundraising committee, said she was shocked to see the play structure built exclusively by her community had come into disrepair. She said trash was strewn about the bridges and slides, and screws jutted from the wood, their tips dangerously exposed. "It looked very neglected," she said. "I thought the city would do a better job maintaining it. I was shocked when I heard they were tearing it down. My initial thought was that we built it and I thought it would last longer." Aside from fundraising, McGuirk assisted in the structure's construction. She said Timber Town served a need in the community and was an engaging citywide effort that should continue to be honored by officials. "It was something that was needed, and would benefit a lot of people," McGuirk said. "It was something people could really get behind. Hopefully they rebuild it and it will be there for a long time." "If they are going to restore it, I would hope they don't just bring a bulldozer in. That sends a message if our hard work is just going to not be there." CoChair of the community build event in 1994, Rick Ervin is very familiar with the hard work Timber Town needed to become a reality. Overseeing the build, coordinating volunteers and food supplies for workers, Ervin said the event was a significant moment in which the community came together. "It was unlike anything I've ever experienced in my whole life," he said. "We don't want to lose the recognition of all these people that put forth their efforts 20 years ago. "They will be recognized in the new build. We're not sure how, but they will be recognized." Ervin was surprised at the city's plans to replace most of Timber Town's wooden features, but said the rebuild will offset the costs of maintenance. Timber Town's treated wood must be resealed each year to avoid rot. He said the chemicals used to treat the wood could pose health concerns. He said the composite material will last much longer. "I have mixed feelings," Ervin said. " I was a little surprised to hear they are going to pull it out and replace it with new materials. I am disappointed, but it seems it would cost more to renovate it than to build a new one."

As an update, Mt Pleasant is engaging the community to volunteer their help in the rebuild. How would this affect the financials?