Children's Play Area Temporary Closed After Parents Complain

A few days after Meadowhill Aquatic Center's regular season opening, the closed the small wading pool on the south end of the facitiliy to repair slippery conditions near the wading pool's entrance.

"When we first opened, kids were getting hurt, so we decided to close it down and fix the problem," said Rita Hanna, assistant manager of Northbrook Park District Aquatics. "Hopefully it will be open by Saturday."

The wading pool was closed on Tuesday afternoon amid complaints from visitors. 

"I saw a little boy who was 3 or 4 years old fall and hit his head pretty hard," said Julie Peacock, a resident of the 1400 block of Sycamore Lane. Peacock said she visited the pool on Saturday with her 3-year-old son, but made her son wear socks into the water to avoid accidients.

Northbrook parents sometimes enter the shallow pool with their children, but Peacock says parents were falling too. 

"It was scary," she added.

According to Gail Baritz, Northbrook Park District spokesperson, the pool was drained in order to sand down the slippery floor.  

"The paint manufacturer recommended abrading the paint surface, which is accomplished through sanding," Baritz wrote in an email. "This process will help make it more slip-resistant."

"We will definitely go back to the pool," Peacock said. "I just wish it didn't take them four days to respond."

"The Park District became aware of concerns over the weekend and started working to address the situation first thing Monday morning," Baritz wrote. "After talking to the paint manufacturer, we closed the Children’s Play Area on Tuesday at 2pm to follow the manufacturer’s recommendation."

Where you or your child affected by the pool's slippery conditions over the weekend? Leave us a comment with your story.