Lake in the Hills park playground getting makeover

Lake in the Hills this month will renovate a 20-year-old playground and donate the old play equipment to a disadvantaged community, officials said.

Work on the Stoneybrook Park playground, at Anderson Drive and David Street, begins Monday. The playground will remain closed until July 1.

Public works crews will install two separate play structures, one for children 2 to 5 years old and the other for 5 to 12 year olds. Renovations include the installation of an underground drainage system and a walkway path from the existing shelter to the playground. The current plastic border will be replaced with a modular concrete product expected to last longer.

The old equipment will be donated to the nonprofit Kids Around the World, whose volunteers will remove the equipment, restore it, then reinstall it in a disadvantaged community, said Scott Parchutz, superintendent of public properties.

"We look forward to opening this park and making it one of the touchstones in this neighborhood for many years to come," he said.

During renovations, the site will be cordoned off by an orange safety fence to prevent access to the playground. Area residents are requested to help monitor the park and call the police department, if children are seen playing inside the fenced area.

For more information, call the public works department at (847) 960-7500.