A Dallas city park has locks on the gate but fences kids climb over.

The playground cost taxpayers $1 million to build and it's all but off limits to the public.

How can that be?

Along a very quiet Danieldale Road on the outskirts of the Dallas city limits, sits the city-owned recreation facility, called Hulcy Park that on most days is very quiet.

It could be because the play park and picnic spaces are padlocked, as are the adjacent soccer fields.

In fact, the sign says you are not even allowed to picnic or play, unless the soccer fields have been reserved and are in use.

But on a night in which we found the fields being used, the playground was still locked, and children were climbing over the fence to have fun on the slide.

But no cooking or picnicking because there are no picnic tables - they're long gone.

"When I look out here and see every picnic bench gone it just tells me that no one is here," he said.

Even though the park was paid for by DISD and a state grant, the Dallas Parks Department is in charge of maintaining park amenities.

Amenities such as the missing picnic benches and tables valued at $9,000.

The soccer fields are only accessible by appointment only and then there's a nature trail which has not been maintained.

The trail cost taxpayers an estimated $16,000 to build but is overgrown and practically impassible.

Dallas Parks Department officials say the gate to the picnic area and park itself are locked due to continuous vandalism.

They say the nature trail lacks security lights and has a serious mosquito infestation issue.

The city plans to replace the missing or stolen fixtures in the coming weeks and open the park totally after Thanksgiving.

But Isenberg believes the frequent vandalism and apparent negligence are not a coincidence and neither is the city's sudden interest in protecting the taxpayers' investment.

"This is a beautiful park if it were property promoted and properly utilized," he said.

E-mail bshipp@wfaa.com.