Town Meeting voted earlier this year to appropriate $2M for playground renovations, and among them will be the heavily used equipment at Warren Park at the Recreation building at 90 Washington St. This stemmed from a Department of Public Works review of playground status in terms of equipment age and style, accessibility, and usage (the town maintains 18 playgrounds on 16 properties).
The Natural Resources Commission has been getting updates in recent months for the revamped playground layout, which will be designed with accessibility at the forefront, plus considerations to preserve trees in the space. Installation could be as early as fall of 2025, but more likely in 2026 due to lead times, according to the NRC.
Park & Tree Superintendent Cricket Vlass updated the NRC on the Warren design concepts for what she termed a “flagship playground” at a June 25 meeting (see Wellesley Media recording).
To make the playground ADA compliant, the idea is to make use of the space between the current lower playground (for 5-12 year olds) and the walk towards the parking lot. Eventually, the town would phase out the upper playground for 2-5 year olds that’s under the trees, and use the lower space and currently unused space adjacent to it to accommodate younger kids with a mix of existing and new equipment on a PFAS-free rubberized surface. With the shift away from the trees, the town would seek ways to still provide shade to kids and adults.
The NRC’s Michael D’Ortenzio said he was happy to see the conceptual design included places for kids to explore on the ground but also climb high. “I’m happy to see what I think is a robust playground. And I would continue to encourage elements that give kids a chance to get out of their comfort zone as is appropriate,” he said.
The front Bates Elementary School playground and the Schofield Elementary School playground are also covered under the recent Town Meeting funding.
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