Updated January 2nd, 2025

Thank you for joining us for Hot Chocolate in the Park and completing the survey!

City Staff had a great time connecting with neighbors and students from Sustainability Academy in Pomeroy Park on December 18th! The weather cooperated for us to share many cups of hot chocolate and marshmallows while discussing the upcoming playground replacement.

Visitors were excited to provide input on what kind of play they enjoy at Pomeroy Park and to write or draw about what they enjoy about play spaces. Below are photographs from the event and the boards with ‘voting’ for activities to include in the playground. Active options rise to the top, but there are also votes for quieter activities like playing music, sensory play and nature play. There are also some ‘big dreams’ listed including: a wood fired sauna and heated pool!

The first Pomeroy Park Playground Replacement Survey (open October to December) received 52 responses. Most of the respondents live in the Old North End and walk to get to the park. Most respondents visit the park once a day (24), closely followed by once a week (21). Even though pets are not permitted to be within the playground area, some respondents noted that they like the playground for their dog (6). The BPRW team will be reviewing the data and comments in detail before diving into next steps!

Next Steps:

Through January, staff will continue to reach out to dedicated children’s groups that frequently use the park to understand their needs and wants while concurrently evaluating the feedback garnered to date and beginning to plan out how to connect the playground to the rest of the park (it’s not currently universally accessible!) and working with other city departments on ways to support access to this park beyond its boundaries.

If you know a children’s space/ daycare/ after school care that uses the playground, please connect us! We have materials ready to interact with adults and children of all ages.

Couldn’t make the hot chocolate event but still interested in the project?Join us at the Ward 2 Meeting on January 9th, 2025 at the Old North End Community Center.

Join BPRW for Hot Chocolate in the Park and talk about the upcoming Playground Replacement!

What: We’ll have hot chocolate, music and activities for children! Come provide input on the upcoming replacement of the playground and goals to make it universally accessible!

When: Wednesday, December 18, 1:00 to 4:30 p.m.

Where: Pomeroy Park, 31 Booth St.

And if you haven’t yet…

Take the online survey to tell us what you want to see in Pomeroy Park’s Playground!

Read the project’s history below and weigh in with a quick 5-minute survey to tell us what you like about the playground and what could be improved!

The Survey is now closed – look for future surveys/engagement opportunities on this page!

Burlington Children’s Space Outreach, Fall 2024

The BPRW Planning team had a blast engaging with families with young children at the Burlington Children’s Space during pickup. Tabling with objects to ‘create your own playground’ and a sticker dot activity, some children were quick to tell us what they love about playgrounds! Others took to pen and paper and started drawing! Children from Burlington Children’s Space frequently visit the playground through the center. Knowing what will help both the children and teachers enjoy their every visit is crucial to the Pomeroy Park Playground!

Burlington City and Lake Semester Consultancy, Fall 2024

Students from the Burlington City and Lake Semester joined BPRW planning team in Pomeroy Park for a consultancy mid-fall. Students kicked the morning off with discussions about their favorite parks and amenities. The group then headed to Pomeroy Park. Many of the students had not been to Pomeroy Park previously, but they quickly emersed into the playground area – enjoying some of the structures and also discussing the project with adults and children who were playing on the playground. The consultancy wrapped up with the students dividing into two groups to draw and discus potential changes to the playground area, with consideration for circulation and the varying ages that might want to use a play area, but are currently excluded because of the aging structures or/and the 6″ drop into the playground area from the path leading to its entrance. The students quickly engaged and provided great insight to move the project forward.

What’s your dream for Pomeroy Parks’s Playground?! 

Updated: June 14, 2024

In 2022, the Tot Lot at Pomeroy Park was removed due to safety concerns. Shortly after, several community requests for Penny for Parks funds to replace the tot lot were received by BPRW. Funding was allocated towards the tot lot and staff bid out the project. However, given the small stature of the project, no bids were received.  

As BPRW re-evaluated the project, it was determined that the larger playground structures would also soon need to be replaced and that access to the playground did not meet accessibility standards.  

To meet the needs of the community and to aim for universal access of City playgrounds, BPRW will be engaging community members in coming months about what the playground at Pomeroy could be.  

Interested in engaging in the process? Please sign up to be part of the fun part of dreaming about Pomeroy’s next playground! We’ll be in the park through late fall to talk to folks about what they would like to see!

To be on Pomeroy Park’s Playground Replacement list, please email Ssauve@burlingtonvt.gov with the subject Pomeroy Park’s Playground. To be added to our newsletter list, please email info@burlingtonvt.gov. 

See you in the park!