By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
LAWRENCE — Township Council has introduced a $100,000 bond ordinance, taking the first step toward creating an all-inclusive playground area at Central Park, off Eggerts Crossing Road.
The proposed playground will have a rubberized surface that is suitable for wheelchairs, for example.
The next step, according to township officials, is to apply for a matching grant through Mercer County’s “Mercer at Play” program.
The “Mercer at Play” program offers matching grants to towns to develop active recreation projects. Mercer County officials announced plans to offer a second round of grants last month.
Mayor David Maffei said it has been a long-standing goal to have an all-inclusive playground where children who have handicaps can play with children who do not. All children will be able to visit the playground and find ways to play with one another, he said.
Township officials have been planning for such a playground for several years, and have been setting aside money for it. The playground is expected to be in place by the fall.
Countywide, the first round of Mercer at Play grants totaled $6.5 million in grants that paid for skate parks, bocce courts, basketball courts and tennis courts.
There was money for the athletic field complex at the former Twin Pines Airport — on the Lawrenceville-Pennington Road — that was developed through the collaborative efforts of Lawrence and Hopewell townships, and Pennington and Hopewell boroughs.
