Playground Renovation Update For Madison's Dodge Field Heard By Council

MADISON, NJ — Construction on the first ADA-compliant playground in the neighborhood is set to begin this year, according to an update provided by Madison Borough Councilwoman Debra Coen.

The Dodge Field Playground renovation project has been a continuous work in progress for many months, with the project's first presentation being in October of last year.

The goal of the playground project is to "have an accessible playground with as much of the equipment available for everyone's use, while maintaining the fun and challenge for all," according to Coen.

Among the playground enhancements will be a section dedicated to children aged two to five. Coen clarified that while the entire playground will be safe for all ages, some of the other sections will have equipment better suited for older children aged five to twelve.

This project is anticipated to cost $650,000 in total. Included in this is the $125,000 grant from Morris County Open Space Recreation and Historic Preservation that Madison is set to receive. The remaining funds will come from a $550,000 appropriation from the borough's open space and historic preservation fund, Coen said.

"We had hoped to do this late spring, early summer. It took us long enough to come up with the exact design that we wanted, that we are looking at late summer, end of August project start date and they are telling us 45 days from start to finish from the site demo to when the playground is opened," Coen said.

The subject of where the current playground equipment will end up was brought forth by Niles Avenue resident Rachel Kirk.

"I know that a lot of moms are concerned about the playground at Delbarton... there were talks about I think a commitment to making sure that some of the equipment that's going to be replaced at the other park gets, potentially, reused at Delbarton. I just want to make sure that that is spoken to and thought about. Our park looks like a scary 80s movie," Kirk said.

In her presentation, Coen stated that although that was the original plan, there would be no way to remove the current equipment at Dodge Field, without damaging it and making it a safety hazard.

"The parks master plan, including new equipment for Delbarton, is on the drawing board, including a design process to improve the play experience and address wet conditions. They have not been forgotten, we will be doing them in 2024 or 2025, that's the hope," Coen said.