Stacy Williams

Thank you to everyone who signed the petition expressing support for an inclusive playground in our community. Your advocacy demonstrates a shared commitment to creating recreational spaces where children and families of all abilities can play, learn, and connect together. We appreciate your passion and recognize the importance of this investment.

We understand the desire to see an inclusive playground built within the next few months. While we share the vision of making this project a reality, a playground of this caliber requires careful planning to ensure it serves the community for decades to come.

The first step is identifying the right location. Site studies must evaluate available space, accessibility, environmental conditions, utilities, drainage, safety considerations, and long-term maintenance needs. An inclusive playground also requires a significantly larger footprint than a traditional playground to accommodate a wide range of accessible play experiences, gathering spaces, pathways, and supporting amenities. Adequate parking, including accessible parking, pedestrian connections, and safe access for families and caregivers, must also be incorporated into the design.

In addition to selecting an appropriate site, each location requires detailed planning and engineering to ensure the playground meets accessibility standards, complies with local and state regulations, and integrates with existing park infrastructure. These important steps take time but are essential to creating a safe, sustainable, and truly inclusive destination for the entire community.

Taking the time to complete this planning process also allows the Parks and Recreation Department to build momentum for the project and pursue additional funding opportunities. While grant funding is an important component of many large park projects, the application process is often lengthy and highly competitive. Many grant programs have specific requirements that must be met before an application can even be considered, including site-specific master plans, engineering and feasibility studies, cost estimates, conceptual designs, environmental reviews, and documentation demonstrating community need and support. These requirements take time to complete, but they significantly strengthen the project's competitiveness for state, federal, and private funding opportunities. By completing the necessary planning and due diligence upfront, the Department will be better positioned to leverage local investment, attract alternate funding partners, and maximize outside funding sources to deliver a high-quality inclusive playground that meets the community's needs.

As part of this effort, the Parks and Recreation Department is currently conducting a Department Comprehensive Plan study and Enfield Park Site Specific plan. This planning process will help guide future investments in parks, trails, recreational facilities, and playgrounds throughout our community. Public participation is a critical component of this study, and we encourage every resident to complete the community survey. The feedback received will help identify priorities, determine where future amenities are most needed, and ensure that future park improvements that include inclusive playgrounds, reflect the needs and desires of the community.

Your support is an important part of this process, and we encourage you to remain engaged as we move from vision to planning and ultimately to construction. By taking the necessary time to identify the right site, complete thoughtful planning, and pursue additional funding partnerships, we can create an inclusive playground that is not only built successfully but serves our community for generations to come.

We sincerely appreciate your continued advocacy and look forward to working together to make this vision a reality.

Stacy Williams, CPRE
Director of Parks and Recreation
ECPC Parks and Recreation