HOLMDEL Complete with slides, a large baseball, and artificial turf, township officials opened a new playground and splash pad to the public.
Mayor Gregory Buontempo, Deputy Mayor Patrick Impreveduto and Committeemen Eric Hinds and Thomas Critelli cut a ribbon to open the new playground to the public on Aug. 8 within Cross Farms Park, located at 10 Longbridge Road.
The new playground has Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-accessible features, making it easier for children with to play among their peers.
“The township needed an area for children of all abilities to be able to play together. There is also an area off to the side where a child who might have sensory issues can participate in parallel play while still utilizing the playground,” Bob Ward said, director of the township’s recreation department.
The playground features an ADA compliant playground with ramps so children in mobility devices can play alongside their peers. The playground features a set of high back swings and the safety surfacing is artificial turf to allow for a child in a mobility device to get around the playground smoothly, according to Ward.
“Everyone did a great job and it really was a pleasure to see and a pleasure to be there and the feedback from the parents and children that were there was all positive so it was very nice and a great job on that,” Mayor Gregory Buontempo said.
The new playground also features a 30 foot in diameter splash pad with five ground water jets and a large baseball in the middle that sprays water from above. The splash pad is now open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The operating season will be mid-May through mid-September, according to Ward.
The total cost of the playground and splash pad project was $329,850. The project was partially funded by a $137,500 grant from the Monmouth County Park System, according to Ward.
Due to weather delays the entire project from start of construction until its opening day took about seven months, according Ward.
“We are very happy to have this unique feature available to the residents to Holmdel. Now children of all abilities have a place to play together. The splash pad feature allows a fun place for children to cool off in the warm months of the summer. We would like to thank Marturano Recreation and Whirl Construction for their help in making this project come to life,” Ward said.
“We would also like to thank to Ken Stattle for his donation of 3,000 square feet of sod that allowed us to put the final touches around the area. We look forward to seeing the children’s smiling faces as they play on the playground and splash pad.”
For more information about the new playground and splash pad visit www.holmdelrec.com or the township recreation department’s Facebook page.
Contact Vashti Harris at vharris@newspapermediagroup.com.
