Published in the August 3, 2016 edition
By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — The new playground at Glen Meadow Park will be completed later this month, Department of Public Works Director Andrew Lafferty said last week.
During April Town Meeting, the Lynnfield Moms Group (LMG) succeeded in getting townspeople to earmark $200,000 toward the construction of town parks, including the reconstruction and construction of facilities at Glen Meadow Park. Article 24 authorized the town to appropriate these funds from the town’s Free Cash account.
Lafferty said contractors have completed demolition and site work at the playground site.
“The majority of the play structures are in,” said Lafferty. “The contractor for the walkway will begin forming and pouring the concrete within the next week or so. (The project) should be completed by the end of August.”
Lafferty noted three local residents played a key role “in the construction of the playground.”
“Marco Tammarro of MJR Custom Homes generously donated the installation of the walkway at no cost to the town,” said Lafferty. “The Champy’s and the Pagos’ of Pagos Way donated their time and equipment to do the demolition and the site work.”
Lafferty said the playground equipment’s manufacturer is BCI Burke Company. While Lafferty said the project’s cost is “currently under the estimated $200,000 budget,” the contractor still needs to install an irrigation system and pads under picnic tables. Lafferty also said loam and seeding need to be installed in order to finalize the landscaping component of the project.
“Tentative completion of the walkway will be mid to end of August,” said Lafferty. “The public can begin using it once the final walkway is in.”
In addition to the Glen Meadow playground project, Fields Committee Chairman Arthur Bourque said recently the park’s basketball court has been cleaned up and painted.
Bourque said the new playground will be a beautiful addition to Glen Meadow Park.
“It’s a beautiful little park right in the middle of town,” said Bourque.
The LMG has been holding fundraisers for nearly two years through its partnership with Townscape to raise funds for the playground project. The group has over 180 members with 300 children under the age of 6. The LMG got involved with the playground project because the town’s parks are not safe and up to code.
As of late April, the LMG raised nearly $40,000 for a playground fund, which fell short of the estimated $170,000 needed to modernize Glen Meadow Park. That price did not include site work.
During April Town Meeting, Selectmen Chairman Phil Crawford said the playground needed to be replaced because the old playground’s wood structures were rotting and not safe.
