Local kids will have a new place to play this summer.
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TORRINGTON – Local kids will have a new place to play this summer.
The city Recreation Board recently granted $13,000 to purchase new equipment for the playground at City Park on West C Street in town. Mark Weis, projects director for the city, expects removal of the existing playground equipment to begin next week, with installation of the new equipment to follow.
City crews will cordon off an area around the existing equipment and begin disassembly as early as Tuesday, May 29, weather permitting, Weis said Wednesday. Following removal and site preparation, assembly of the new equipment should begin the following week, he said.
The new equipment arrived via truck on Wednesday. It’s basically an updated version, similar to the existing equipment, manufactured with more modern materials.
The existing playground apparatus was installed in the mid-1990s, Weis said. While it’s still considered safe, there will come a time – probably sooner rather than later, he said – when safety will become a concern.
The existing pieces are rubber-coated steel. As the rubber wears away, metal wearing on metal could eventually create weak spots, he said.
“It’s been in place for 21 or 22 years now,” Weis said. “We just felt it was best to replace it now and be proactive.”
The city will also be upgrading the pad around the playground equipment. Existing “rubber mulch” material in the City Park pad will be salvaged and used at Pioneer Park. The pad at City Park will then be back-filled to create a level base for the new equipment and filled with small, pea gravel.
Existing treated-wood timbers surrounding the playground will be removed and concrete curbing poured in its place, Weis said. All the work will be done by Torrington city crews.