Evesham Township was approved for a $250,000 grant through the Burlington County Freeholders and the Municipal Park Development Assistance Program.
The third round of approvals totaled in $5 million, with money going to each of the 28 towns that applied for the rehabilitation funds.
“We knew the grants were out there, and we had the plan to rebuild and refurbish our premiere children’s playground,” Township Manager Bill Cromie said.
“We are making it possible for towns to achieve their local recreational goals during a time when they must address other priorities due to budget constraints,” said Freeholder Director Bruce D. Garganio in a statement. “Our goal has been to extend this funding to all of the towns in the county, so that ‘no town is left behind.’”
The playground set for improvement, Memorial Park is located on Tuckerton Road, is approximately 20 years old and in dire need of repair.
“The playground gets used a tremendous amount, and the features have been broken and repaired numerous times.” said Cromie. “It’s showing its age.”
The township will make more changes to the playground other than replacing the equipment; the park will be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
According to Cromie, there have been numerous repairs to the outdated playground from replacing to the swings to sanding, and the repairs have become a constant flow.
The township’s plan is to bid the construction to a private contractor. The bidding is slated to begin in the late summer or early fall, according to Cromie.
“Other improvements may be done,” said Nancy Jamanow, director of Community Development. “We’re not sure yet what that will be, but we’re looking to improve it to today’s standards.”
There’s no set timetable on the full construction of the playground.
“We hope for next spring for it to be opened up again,” Jamanow said.
The full amount of the grant is expected to be utilized through the construction of the new playground and additional improvements around Memorial Park.
“We believe the cost of the projects we have in mind will cost the total amount of the grant,” Jamanow said.
All of the towns that applied for the grant were approved, Garganio said. Furthermore, the plan is to continue to allocate $5 million a year from the county’s existing dedicated fund for farmland preservation and open space, according to the release.
“Every taxpayer in every town pays into the dedicated open space fund, but in the past, not every town has benefitted directly from these dollars. I’m pleased to say that this program has changed that,” Garganio said.
“We just want to thank the freeholders for considering the application. It’s certainly going to benefit Evesham residents,” Cromie said.
