Addressing neighborhood park area D'r Prick

The reason for the approach is the nuisance in various forms that residents of Neighborhood Park D'r Prick have been experiencing for some time. A group of local residents, together with the municipality of Kerkrade, therefore drew up a plan of approach for the neighborhood building the surrounding area. 

Looking forward together

The plan to make the neighborhood safer and more livable is now ready and is being picked up from different angles and disciplines. Neighborhood alderman Bert Bejas: "We as a municipality are working together with local residents and the board of the playground to make D'r Prick an area everyone can be proud of again. With the chosen approach, we especially want to look forward: to give the area a positive impulse again and restore it to its former glory."

New destination community center

The vacant community center "D'r Prick" will be taken over by the Prickbos Playground Foundation. Alderman Schlangen (Youth): "In the future, the community center will be used as a playground building, including for indoor activities. If everything goes according to plan, the adjustments will be ready before the opening of the playground season."

Greater social control

The building will be refurbished together by the playground board and the municipality. There will also be a fence around the building to prevent vandalism and ensure that anyone who does not belong there cannot just come to the building.
Mayor Dassen-Housen (Public Order and Safety) said, "By using the building again, there is more surveillance at this location. Furthermore, by placing this fence, the building and the skate track are added to the playground. The skate track is only open when the playground is open, this allows for greater social control."

Improved appearance and more parking

Not only will the building be refurbished, the greenery in and around the park will be addressed to increase safety and social control. In addition, the plan also takes into account parking pressure on the days the playground is open. 

Alderman Weijers (Real Estate and Public Space) said, "Replacing broken windows and installing new shutters will greatly improve the appearance of the neighborhood building, and thus the area. Pruning and lower plantings will create more views of the park. We are also looking at whether additional lighting is necessary after the pruning. To alleviate parking congestion, there will be eight additional parking spaces in the middle of Pricksteen Road."