A community fighting to save a beloved park was blindsided Wednesday when the playground equipment was suddenly dismantled and removed.
Crews put up red danger tape to do the work at the playground in Pop Squires Park in Centennial Hills.
Nathaniel Taylor is with the HOA of the Centennial Springs Neighborhood.
He says he was shocked to see what happened.
"We're kind of caught off guard because we were told that we have two months before they were going to do anything with this park," Taylor said.
The land is owned by a California developer that wants to build housing on it.
Taylor says the HOA was under the impression they're in negotiations to possibly purchase the park from the developer.
Councilwoman Michele Fiore has been on the community's side through this, with Taylor saying she's put herself out on a limb to save the park.
Her office received an email Wednesday from an attorney representing the developer.
It said the HOA was notified the playground would be removed because it was agreed the equipment was a safety hazard.
Taylor concedes the playground was in some disrepair, but now that the two sides are in negotiations, he says the tear-down was disingenuous.
