Following a plan brought forward earlier this year, the Board of Selectmen has approved the request from the Recreation Department to update the playgrounds at Mead and Kiwanis Parks.
Recreation Director Steve Benko said during the selectmen’s meeting May 19 that most of the equipment is very old.
The current set up of the Mead Park playground swings has the toddler and children swings together. The new design of the swings will separate these into separate playing areas. Credit: Mackenzie Lewis
“Some of the beams are from 1997,” Benko said during the meeting, held in the Training Room of the Police Department. “They are 18 years old and some of them are worn and scratched, so we need to replace them.”
The contracts with M.E. O’Brien & Sons, Inc. will install a new toddler swing set in Mead with single post swing set with two full buckets seats, including installation for a cost of $1,515. “Basically we are going to add a toddler swing to the park,” Benko said. “It will be separate from the regular swings,” to create two separate areas of the playground.
Mead will be updating the toddler play structure and keep its separate areas for toddlers and children. Credit: Mackenzie Lewis
The board approved of this first request with Selectman Nick Williams stating that, “This is going to be good.”
Benko also secured upgrades to parts of the playground at Mead. Under the contract, Mead will see updates and installation of new play panels on toddler play structures and a new seesaw. There will also be an addition of a flywheel spinner that the park did have in the past.
“We will have a new piece called the spinner, where kids can spin around on it,” Benko said.
New Canaan also will see replacement of existing swing sets, and the installation of 50 cubic yards of wood fiber playground surfacing material. Also with M.E. O’Brien & Sons, Inc., this contract has a worth of $13,367 and all of the new equipment for Mead will be purchased under a state contract.
“Given that the original kids [that] played on that equipment in are in college, I think its time,” Williams said.
About five years ago Kiwanis Park updated part of the playground by adding an array of slides and monkey bars. Credit: Mackenzie Lewis
Kiwanis Park, where most of the playground equipment is now 23 years old, will see $52,371 in upgrades. “Kiwanis Park had one big play area installed in 1992,” Benko said. “We did install a new area five years ago,” but the park itself needs more of an upgrade.
This contract includes removal of obsolete equipment, reconfiguring the playground, new play structures for toddlers, a new seesaw, new spring animals, a spinner wheel, swings, and signage, which will all be purchased under a state contract.
Benko envisions separating play areas based on age at both Mead and Kiwanis.
Much of the Kiwanis’ playground date back to 1992. The contract allows for updates to theses swings and spring animals shown. Credit: Mackenzie Lewis
The recreation director said that the plan is to separate those playground areas for two to five-year-olds from those for five to twelve-year-olds. This separation will give the playground the right safety code.
First Selectman Rob Mallozzi said: “It’s nice to see this getting done.”