Rocket slide is coming down

McCOOK, Neb. — Based on the recommendation from the city’s Park Advisory Board, the McCook City Council agreed Monday night to take down the rocket slide in Kelley Park

Two of the five council members were absent Monday night, Councilmen Gene Weedin and Jared Muehlenkamp. Their absences were unanimously excused by the remaining three council members, Mayor Linda Taylor and Councilmen Jerry Calvin and Darcy Rambali.

Kyle Potthoff, City of McCook Public Works director, said there were a number of issues regarding the recommendation to remove the rocket slide, including vandalism the past few years that forced the city to close the slide portion of the structure. He also referenced pictures taken recently of the slide that showed rusted-out, jagged areas along the edges of the slide and how the structure has separated and settled over time.

Potthoff also cited the report from the city’s insurance company, which stated the slide is beyond repair, that companies who built these type of slides are no longer in business and the structure has several head entrapment hazards.

The 50-plus-year-old slide was built at Kelley Park in the late 1960s when metal structures were common for playground equipment.

Potthoff said city staff had been in contact with another city that was removing a similar metal slide. That city had lined up a company to replicate the slide in plastic and McCook city staff had considered partnering with them to do the same, but that fell through, he said. The rocket slide had a good run but has simply come to the end of its life expectancy, he said.

Potthoff said that a group of citizens would like to see an all-inclusive, wheelchair-accessible, playground constructed in McCook where the rocket slide is located. The group is working with vendors and first presented their vision of the park to the Parks Advisory Board a year ago. Since that time, they’ve requested to meet with the Parks Board again in the near future, to introduce a final rough draft of the playground.

Potthoff said private individuals have contacted the city to take the slide, but there are liability issues with that, with City Manager Nate adding that liability issues with the slide could follow the city. The slide will be stored for now, Potthoff said.