The structure sits on the 7.5-acre park on VanGorden Road, off Princeton Road.
Trustees said they didn’t anticipate the overwhelming, passionate, reaction they received after announcing on Facebook last Friday that the playground would be disassembled beginning Aug. 26.
A change.org petition organized by resident LeeAnn Carter garnered more than 1,000 signatures in favor of keeping the structure. Nearly 250 commented on the township’s Facebook posting.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
“The community worked together and put in their blood, sweat, and tears to create this unique and beautiful playground for our children,” Carter wrote in the petition.
“Some who played on it and enjoyed it as children are even bringing their children to it now. It has brought happiness to generations of people.”
Carter said she is pleased that trustees are reconsidering their decision.
“I am grateful they listened to the community,’’ she said. “I’m hopeful we are moving forward with solutions that involve the community just as the original playground involved the community.”
Carter said her father helped assemble the original playground and as a child she helped by twisting the screws into bars of soap before the adults used them in assembly. Her 3-year-old son enjoys playing on the fort as much as she did as a child.
“I apologize for not taking the community passion into consideration,” said Trustee Steve Schramm.
The plan was to replace the wood structure with a modern, inclusive, hard plastic, playset with separate equipment for those 6-12 and those 5 and younger.
The fort theme would be maintained, plastic benches and trash cans would be added. Poured in place rubber would replace the existing wood-chipped surface.
The cost of the project was $550,538. It had been scheduled for a vote Tuesday and included a $500,000 grant that must be used by 2026.
“We’ve got plenty of time to press the pause button and re-evaluate ... It’s still a very unique playground,’’ said Rick Plummer, the township’s services director.
The playground is past its life expectancy of 20-25 year, Plummer said. He cited safety concerns about the structure, including rotting and splintering boards.
“It’s a long time for any play structure,” Plummer said. “When you talk about playground equipment every piece is a concern. We’ll see what the manufacturer tells us (in the report).”
Thirteen-year-old Elisa Howe said she’s been coming to the park since she was a baby. She doesn’t want to see it removed.
“The playground is amazing. This is like the best playground ever. It’s so fun for all different ages,’’ she said.
“It’s like an amazing place … for imagination. There are so many things that you could pretend with this big playset – it’s so different.”
But there is one thing that could be improved both Elisa and her mother Marie, agree on: the bathrooms.
“They are disgusting,’’ Elisa said.
Her mother would also like to see the fence extended “so the (kids) can’t run out into the woods,” Marie said.
“If they improve the fence and bathrooms, we’d come all the time. We love it here. It’s by far our favorite playground.”
Former Trustee Christine Matacic was on the committee that designed, ran fund-raisers for, and assembled the park.
“We know the joy and what it means to the community to have something like this here,’’ Matacic said.
“My kids loved their castle playground. How many kids have a castle playground in their backyard? We have one in our community,’’ Matacic said.
“It’s just not 5- and 6-year-olds playing on it. We’ve got teenagers in this community who go there.
“It was a committee of the community that put this together. There is a new generation that needs to take ownership now and join the committee to put together what they want.”
Matacic said she and some of the other original committee members are supportive of saving as much of the playset as possible and would lend their expertise in the effort.
Photographer Nick Graham contributed to this story.
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