Rendering of planned new playground equipment for Rexdale Park in Upper Gwynedd, as presented during the May 6, 2024 township commissioners meeting.
Equipment in the park was aged, according to the township manager.
Upper Gwynedd Board of Commissioners recently approved the purchase of a new playground for the township’s Rexdale Park, a move Manager Sandra Brookley Zadell said will update and replace aged equipment.
“Look at what we are proposing for Rexdale: it is so much cooler than what is currently there,” Zadell said.
The $132,800 contract will be covered by $126,000 from the township’s capital fund and just over $6,800 from parks and recreation fundraisers, according to the manager, and the design of the playground was vetted by parks staff, volunteer board members, and the children of staff and several of the commissioners.
“It was instrumental to check with the children because they can look at it and say ‘No one’s going to climb on that,’ or ‘that’s a safety issue if you climb on that side,’ and best effectuate the uses of the playground. That was very important,” Commissioner Greg Moll said.
As they spoke, the manager showed renderings of the new playground equipment, with a slide, swings of different spaces to fit users of all sizes, and a blue and grey color scheme meant to match new styling at the township administration building. The donation fund comes from various fundraisers held by the parks board, along with donations made by township consultants: “We have a lot of great sponsors, and longtime businesses in the community, that always think of us,” Zadell said.
Rendering of planned new playground equipment for Rexdale Park in Upper Gwynedd, as presented during the May 6, 2024 township commissioners meeting.Commissioner Denise Hull asked how soon the playground would be delivered, and Zadell said it could be installed as soon as this summer. Moodie asked about the surface below the playground, and Zadell said the parks staff opted for mulch instead of a poured-in-place rubberized surface due to lower costs, and the Rexdale project could be the first of several playground replacements in the coming years.
“We do have the money in our capital fund, and I think it’s time we start replacing some playgrounds,” she said.
The board also announced on May 13 that they’ll hold only one meeting per month over the summer, with meeting dates scheduled for June 10, July 15 and August 12, all at 7 p.m. at the township administration building, 1 Parkside Place. For more information visit www.UpperGwynedd.org.
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