Lake Placid Elementary Playground Upgrades / Repair Planned (Volunteers Needed)

TOPIC: Elementary Playground Progress at LPCSD
LPCS Elementary Playground to return soon
The Lake Placid Central School District is pleased to announce that the Paw Print Park Playground at Lake Placid Elementary School will soon reopen, according to Superintendent Dr. Randy Richards. The LPCSD Board of Education decided to close the playground last fall after two students were injured. Subsequently, Utica National, the District’s insurance company, issued a site audit report which listed a number of safety issues that the Board has taken action to correct.
The playground had been donated to the District by members of the FRIENDS parent group, which raised funds for the project and hired a local contractor to install the natural and creative themed park.
After closing the park, the District sought clarification from the New York State Education Department on playground regulations, which, after several revisions, declared that stamped architectural plans of the site must be developed.
In response, the District hired Mr. Steve Lauzun of Parkitects, an Ithaca, NY based company that specializes in “People, Parks, and Playgrounds” to perform a site audit, draw new architectural site plans, and develop a work plan for the necessary repairs.
Mr. Lauzun’s audit of the playground listed safety items not previously identified during the Utica National audit, and also ensured that it would meet federal requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
A committee comprised of members of the FRIENDS group, the original contractor, district maintenance workers, the District administration, and Board of Education members worked with Mr. Lauzun to develop the remediation plan to reopen the playground. This included removing some of the existing playground apparatus.
The plans for the new and improved playground include: zoned areas for grades K-2 and 3-5, a new 10-seat swing set, new hill slides and a new sandbox. The playground surface will consist of 10-12 inches of processed wood chip fiber, replacing the current sand cover.
Now in the final stage, the district needs volunteer help. Six to eight volunteers are need for Friday afternoon, October 5th to stake out the area, drill holes, sort parts and prepare for the main event on Saturday, Oct. 6th.
On October 6th, 20 to 25 people will be needed to install play equipment and new surfacing. Once the concrete cures, swings will be hung and loose ends completed. The target date for reopening the park is Wednesday, October 10th.
In you are interested in assisting, or have questions, please contact Diane Brenner at 524-0292 or email her at dlspeckman@yahoo.com. Volunteers should bring rakes, shovels, and wheelbarrows. The District will provide other tools. Snacks and lunch are being coordinated by the FRIENDS group.

This entry was posted on September 20, 2012 at 4:57 am and is filed under . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.