Council authorizes applications for three state playground grants totaling up to $725,000

The South Kingstown Town Council on Nov. 10 authorized the town manager to sign and submit three Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management outdoor‑recreation grant applications: a $500,000 large grant request for Town Farm Park playground improvements and two small grants ($125,000 for Fagan Park and $100,000 for Treaty Rock Park).

Parks staff said the large grant competition is competitive and the town will also submit two smaller proposals to increase the chances of receiving funding. The presentation said the grant applications align with projects already in the capital-improvement plan and noted a 25% town match for awards may be required. Staff also committed to community engagement on equipment selection if grants are awarded, and noted Fagan Park was prioritized behind Treaty Rock because Fagan recently received a 2–5 year structure using earlier ARPA funds.

Council members asked about award timing (staff said awards are expected in early spring) and requested a follow-up report on which awards the town receives because grant results will affect CIP planning. The council moved and approved the authorization to submit the three applications and for the town manager to sign the applications if appropriate.

Next steps: staff will submit the applications this month and report back to council when awards are announced.