Town manager outlines accessible playground plan, seeks grants and volunteer support

Town manager Speaker 3 presented a conceptual design for an accessible playground and said the firm Grey Fox Outdoors provided the initial plans pro bono.

Speaker 3 described the proposed site (roughly 60 by 65 feet, near the water tower behind Up Trace of Ground Park) and the design’s accessibility features, saying the main apparatus is wheelchair accessible except for the third level. He said some surface options — including a rubber surfacing product — could account for roughly one-third of the project cost and that equipment, fencing and other items have separate estimates.

"It was definitely recommended if we got a lock in inelastic rate for a period of time that would help with the predictability of our rates," Speaker 3 said while discussing utility predictability in the broader report, and later described grant opportunities and matching funds: he cited a Truliant matching grant the town applied for and state recreation funding possibilities. Speaker 3 said volunteers could handle grading and some site work to reduce cost and that he will provide a full estimate before the council decides to appropriate funds.

Why it matters: The plan aims to add an accessible play area for children with mobility and sensory disabilities and leverages donated design work and community volunteers to lower costs. Speaker 3 said the town has put in additional grant applications and will return with a final cost analysis and funding plan before construction begins.

The manager also noted the bathroom project is on hold and that final funding and scheduling for both projects will be determined after grant outcomes and cost reconciliation.