(November 5, 2003) A few yards from the Little
League and soccer fields sits the Flint Park playground,
the subject of intense
scrutiny
for the past 18 months by the Flint Park Playground Group.
The collection of residents representing private interests
(such as the Flint Park Conservancy) and public entities
(such as the Village Recreation and Parks and Trees Committees)
have settled on recommendations for replacing the playground’s
15-year old equipment. Co-chairs Brigid Brennan and former
Village Trustee Chris Verni entertained the Board on Monday,
November 4 with a Power Point presentation outlining specific
recommendations for upgrading the play structures and creating
two separate
but neighboring areas for pre-schoolers and older children.
The group outlined an ambitious design -
for the equipment and for the implementation. They hope
to raise funds and get the playground operating by the
end
of spring, 2004. They've placed presentation boards at
Village Hall and at the Larchmont Library for public review
and are hoping to hear what people think. Now it's up to
the Board and the community to provide guidance on
next
steps.
The
plans feature a ship-shaped play structure for toddlers,
surrounded by a resilient rubber surfacing
for added safety
and accessibility. Little ones could crawl, scramble or
slide up, under, down and through the ship in full-view
of caregivers, who could also keep an eye on the toddler
seesaw and swings. Meanwhile, the big kids could be climbing,
sliding and hanging from their own near-by structure or
sharing the Biggo Double Swing or Boldr Climbing Wall.
The group settled on designs from the firm
of Henderson Recreation Equipment and worked with Brett
Haddaway who's consulted on numerous
Village playgrounds, including the Chatsworth School renovation
completed just last week.
In putting together the plan, the group
was aiming for aesthetics (to blend in with the natural
surroundings),
practicalities (like safety), and excitement. They were
also aiming to keep within a budget of $150,000, reached
after consultation with numerous equipment providers
and by researching parks in nearby communities where costs
for similar improvements have ranged as high as $500,000.
Coming
up with the $150,000 will require an additional dose of
creativity and effort from the Playground
Group.
Larchmont Ironman athlete John Steigerwald has jump-started
the effort by volunteering to hand over all funds raised
through his participation in the Florida Ironman event
of this weekend.
(See: The Ironman Supports
Flint Park Playground: Invites Community to Help Too)
Mayor Ken Bialo congratulated the
group on its presentation and
thanked
Steigerwald for
his
support,
but
also expressed
concern that the playground project not get ahead of the
Board’s process for funding the expansion at the
back of the park.
“It won’t do well to have a competition between
the Village and a small group of people who are doing something
on behalf of the Village,” he commented. “To
the extent that the Board approves of this project, you
will fall under the Board’s umbrella,” he said.
Later comments from Board members reflected similar concerns.
Trustee Marlene Kolbert said, “We’re extremely
grateful to all the people who participated to bring us
to this point. This has to be looked at very carefully
so it’s quite clear what the chain of command and
coordination will be.” Trustee Mike Wiener was particularly
interested in how much participation was expected from
the Village Yard. “They’ve put together a very
complete proposal, and I want to give it some study,” he
said.
“I’m concerned about the price tag,” said
Trustee Liz Feld. “Not because I think it’s
too expensive, but because of all the other work we want
to do in Flint Park. We need to put our heads together
on this.”
The Board was also interested in hearing from the rest
of Larchmont. “The playground people have put in
a tremendous amount of time and have a detailed set of
plans for public review. Now, I’m looking forward
to hearing from the public,” said Anne McAndrews.
“Of course,” replied Verni. He
and Brennan agreed with the need for collaboration, and
also stressed
the need for efficiency and deliberation if they are to
reach their goal of having new play equipment in place
by late spring of 2004. The Board’s process may take
some time, they noted later, but the playgroup fundraising
plans can proceed concurrently with the Board’s efforts
and with the final decision-making on details of the playground
design. “There
is vast consensus – from a large group of residents
- that the play equipment needs replacement,” said
Verni. “We’re committed to seeing this through.”
At this stage, the general public is being
asked to weigh in. What do people think of the overall
design and its
various aspects? Ultimately, it’s up to the Board
to approve the plans and the financing, but the Board and
the Playground Group are looking for feedback to
guide their decision.
The
plans feature a ship-shaped play structure for toddlers,
surrounded by a resilient rubber surfacing
for added safety
and accessibility. Little ones could crawl, scramble or
slide up, under, down and through the ship in full-view
of caregivers, who could also keep an eye on the toddler
seesaw and swings. Meanwhile, the big kids could be climbing,
sliding and hanging from their own near-by structure or
sharing the Biggo Double Swing or Boldr Climbing Wall. 
Coming
up with the $150,000 will require an additional dose of
creativity and effort from the Playground
Group.
Larchmont Ironman athlete John Steigerwald has jump-started
the effort by volunteering to hand over all funds raised
through his participation in the Florida Ironman event
of this weekend.
(See: 
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