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Residents demand answers after Kingsgate playground removed without notice; town apologizes and outlines plan
Summary
Residents of the Kingsgate neighborhood told the Amherst Town Board the playground was removed with little notice and urged rapid replacement; the supervisor apologized and said the town will seek funds through the capital improvement plan and restore some swings after addressing tree-root hazards.
Amherst residents pressed the Town Board on Aug. 10 after workers removed playground equipment overnight at Kingsgate Park, leaving families and children without their neighborhood play area.
"We find out that it's not there's no intention to replace it," said Dawn Harvey, describing children who use the park daily and urging the board to restore the playground so kids can safely play near home. Several parents and representatives from Central Amherst Little League stood at the meeting and asked the board to commit funding and community design participation for a replacement planned for spring.
Supervisor Lavin apologized for communication failures and said safety prompted the removal. "We have full intentions of reinstating some of the swings once we address the tree roots at Kingsgate, and we're working through this, the CIP right now to make sure that we have funds available to invest into that Kingsgate playground," he said, asking residents for patience while the town addresses immediate safety issues and the longer-term replacement.
Speakers asked whether the 2026 capital allocation or the 2027 budget will fund the replacement and requested community input into the design. Central Amherst Little League and neighborhood residents sought a clear timeline; the board committed to better communication and to pursuing available resources to deliver a safe play space, with an eye toward spring construction.
