A resident of 38 Isahakyan Street called the Hetq office the other day complaining that the playground behind their house was being used as a parking lot. The person informed us that the playground had been renovated last month by the Yerevan Municipality. We visited the playground at different hours of the day and saw 2-3 cars parked there. Many of the building residents never uttered any complaints about the play yard being used as a parking lot when we spoke to them. The resident who had originally called us with the news wished to remain anonymous. Our next step was to call the Yerevan Municipality to apprise them of what was going on. After our call, employees of the Municipality’s Public Affairs Department visited the playground turned parking lot to get a look-see for themselves. They later informed us that residents of the building had gotten permission to park their cars in the playground from the building’s management board. The board’s president explained to Municipality employees that cars were only allowed to park in the playground during evening hours, when children were no longer using the recreation space. Our spot checks revealed parked cars in the yard both in the morning and afternoon, however. Residents prefer not to stage a public protest regarding the misuse of the playground so as not to damage relations with their neighbors. It would appear that the management board has deceived the Municipality employees. As a result, it is the children who are being deprived of using the playground as intended. They can’t play football or shoot hoops when there are cars parked in the play yard, newly renovated with taxpayer money.