Playgrounds are a place where children can be spontaneous and also learn and explore.
Children living near Block 45 on Lawrence Street in Wellesley will soon be able to have those experiences closer to home as the township last week approved construction of a new playground.
Both the township and the Wellesley Recreation Service Board will contribute $7,550 towards the new play centre.
Township staff obtained three quotes from playground builders, with Recreation Playsystems in St. Clements offering the lowest bid with $15,100.
The area near Block 45 has no playground and the township has received numerous calls over the years requesting that one be provided on the site to benefit the families and children living there.
The township funding will come from the Township of Wellesley 5% Park Fund Reserve.
“The park fund is for something new for an area that doesn’t have anything. It has been the township’s past practices to put money into the reserve so that we can build things like playgrounds,” said director of facilities Brad Voisin. “This kind of project is definitely what the reserve is for. It is for parks development.”
The township will prep the site, but the price includes installation of the equipment, Voisin told council. The structure will be a combination of both plastic and steel and will be moveable should the property become a road access for future development. The playground could be moved to another nearby location with the new developed area.
“This playground project has been kicking around since I started here,” said Will McLaughlin, executive director of operations. “There have been requests for a playground in that subdivision for the last nine years. It has taken a lot to get it all in place and likely the little kids that it was initially meant for are not little kids anymore but there are always little kids and I am sure they will enjoy it.”
McLaughlin said administrators hope to have something like a playground in every subdivision in township.
