NEW! Ballantine Park Renovations!

The Town of Southbury Parks and Recreation Department announced that work is underway on construction of a new Ballantine Park Playground that is expected to be installed and ready for kids and families by mid-April. Assuming the weather cooperates, the Town has set a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially celebrate the opening of the new Ballantine Park Playground on April 12, 2014 at 11:00am, following the Town's annual Easter Egg Hunt at the park, which is scheduled to begin at 10:00am.

"We were pleased to be able to obtain $125,000.00 in LoCIP (Local Capital Improvement Program) funding to replace this aging playground with new, state-of-the-art equipment," said First Selectman Ed Edelson. "This new facility should provide many fun-filled days for our children to enjoy."

The new Ballantine Park Playground will feature state-of-the-art equipment designed specifically for two age ranges of children: one section for ages 2 to 5 years old and another for those ages 5 to 12 years old. The new playground will bring years of enjoyment and activity based on six key characteristics: Scale, Challenge, Interaction, Inclusion, Diversity and Engagement. The various activities will draw the interest of children of varying ages and skill levels and provide them with a playground design that will remain engaging and challenging over time. The playground's elements are designed and were selected to promote child development through play, health and learning.

"The old playground, while grandfathered in from a regulatory perspective, no longer met the guidelines set forth by the Consumer Product Safety Commission or the American Standards for Testing and Materials standards. Most important, it wasn't up to our own standards for the children of Southbury," said Ronald Kalban, Director, Southbury Parks and Recreation Department. "We are very excited to provide this fantastic upgrade to Ballantine Park that we expect will be enjoyed by kids and families in Southbury for many years to come."

The new playground will feature: Spinners, Climber, Slides, Swings, Balancing Components and much more. It will also be compliant with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and be totally accessible.

The new playground is the latest in a series of ongoing renovations and improvements that have been completed and are being considered at Ballantine Park, including the new Pool House at the Southbury Town Pool and the installation of new, modern kitchen equipment last summer in the Ballantine Park Pavilion.

The Parks and Recreation Commission recognized that the playground needed to be replaced and requested funds to do so in their Capital Budget requests over the last several years. In 2013, the Town of Southbury applied for a Local Capital Improvement Program (LoCIP) grant from the State of Connecticut and was awarded $125,000 to replace the outdated playground. In October of 2013, the Parks and Recreation Commission prepared a Request for Proposals to acquire as many qualified bids and proposals from reputable companies to replace the playground. On October 30, 2013 the bids were opened and eight proposals were received for consideration. A committee among members of the Parks and Recreation Commission reviewed and analyzed the proposals, narrowing the bids to three finalists. The three proposals were presented to the Parks and Recreation Commission at their December 5, 2013 meeting and the Commission voted unanimously to recommend to the Board of Selectmen that the Town award the bid to Kompan Inc. At the December 19, 2013 Board of Selectmen meeting, they agreed with the recommendation of the Commission and voted unanimously to award the bid to Kompan for $123,207.

Kompan is the world's number one playground supplier. As much as well-planned playgrounds promote healthy physical exercise, they also help children develop their sense of awareness, their ability to empathize, and their intellect. At Kompan, they see physical and mental health as intrinsically intertwined - and the solutions they develop benefit bodies and minds alike. The knowledge children acquire through active outdoor play is knowledge that will benefit them for the rest of their lives. Kompan products incorporate recycled materials wherever possible, and use no plastics containing PVC or otherharmful substances. Production processes are also designed to minimize environmental impact, and the company requires its suppliers to comply with these same high standards. The company's products are also designed to require the lowest levels of maintenance possible, using the highest quality materials available and requiring no repainting of parts to considerably increase the lifetime of the playground.

Charlie Rosa, Chairman of the Parks and Recreation Commission added "We are pleased to provide this playground for our children. The activities and imagination of children influenced by their environment are much different in 2014 than 1970, although their need for physical and challenging exercise is still the same."

Demolition of the old playground, parts of which date back to 1970, as well as preparations for installing the new playground began the week of March 23. According to a date etched in concrete, the playground at Ballantine Park was originally installed 44 years ago with the newest addition, the Tot Lot, more than 20 years old. Almost all of the components were outdated and many parts of the playground, such as the wooden seesaws, had to previously be removed for safety reasons.

While most of the old playground's components are outdated and worn, elements of the Tot Lot were still in pretty good shape. The Parks and Recreation Commission contacted Kids Around the World, a registered 501c(3) non-profit organization, which has built over 330 playgrounds for children in more than 50 countries worldwide. Julie Rearick, Regional Director of Kids Around the World, will be coming to Southbury prior to the installation of the new playground and dismantling the Tot Lot. It will then be refurbished and shipped to a village in Haiti for continued enjoyment by children.