Village to Install Safety Surface at Park Playground

At its most recent meeting the approved the next step in the upgrade to the playground at Village Park that began last year with the installation of new equipment.

Specifically, the board gave the go-ahead to begin prepping the ground under the playground equipment so it could then accept a rubberized safety surface.

Trustee Maryann Weckerle told Lindenhurst Patch following the May 3 meeting, “It will take about 48 hours to prepare the surface. It will allow us to pour a safety surface over it.”

Preparation involves securing the area, removing and disposing all mulch from the area, excavating and installing a four-inch recycled concrete base followed by installing a two-inch, New York state, commercial-grade asphalt.

It was noted that this preparation of the ground underneath the playground equipment comes ahead of a rubberized safety surface to be installed.

Weckerle said last spring the village installed new playground equipment, but due to budget constraints, couldn’t pour the surface at the time.

“So we made do with wood chips,” she said. “It reinforced the fact that we had to do this because this surface is better for the children.”

In giving the project a green light, the board approved the project review committee’s recommendation that the contract in the amount of $17,000 for preparing the playground at Village Park be awarded to Atlas Asphalt of Deer Park. Funds will be appropriated from the 2009 Village Parks Playground Bond Fund.

Atlas will do the prep work, but another, already-approved company will do the surface, Weckerle noted.

Deputy Village Administrator Doug Madlon said both contractors are lined up. Now it’s a matter of scheduling. He and Village Administrator Shawn Cullinane are hoping to get that done within the next two weeks, but at least as soon as possible before children get out of school for the summer.

“Two weeks is a fair assessment,” said Cullinane. “We’re scheduling them now.”

“I’d like to schedule them as soon as possible, in the next two weeks, but nothing is firm yet,” said Madlon, who added that this surface is low-maintenance and is being installed for the long-haul. “It has at least a 10-year life, depending on the conditions.”

“This is a much-needed step. We hope to install more equipment, and eventually get tennis courts put back in, since we’ve had so many requests by residents to do so,” Weckerle added. The courts fell into disrepair about 10 years ago, she said, and eventually were removed.

Residents will be notified as soon as preparation for and the installation of the actual surface is scheduled via a sign at the park, said Madlon, and the park will need to be closed for several days for preparation, and then again to let the surface set.

In addition, at the May 3 meeting, the board approved two payments for boulders and rocks installed at the village playground to be appropriated from the 2009 Bond Parks. One $600 payment for 10 rocks will go to C.K. Martin, Inc. in Riverhead. The other $1,000 payment for two truckloads of boulders will go to JAM Trucking and Contracting in Riverhead.