CPA Playground Application_RKFRR_Spring 2024 (1).pdfApplication to the
Northampton Community Preservation Committee
A Playground For ALL
at
R. K. Finn Ryan Road Elementary School
Interactive Table of Contents
Project Goal and Summary 4
Location - About Ryan Road Elementary School 5
Community Preservation Criteria 3
Project Background and Team 6
How does our project align with Community Preservation criteria?6
Open Space:6
Recreation:7
What community needs does the project serve?7
The Need for Accessibility and Inclusivity:7
The Need for Effective Rehabilitation and Restoration of an Existing
Recreational Facility within the Presence of Open Space:8
The Need for Exercise and Physical Activity to be Embedded into Play
Opportunities:8
How will we guarantee the long term preservation of our project?9
Ongoing maintenance and upkeep 9
How will the success of this project be measured?10
Project Budget 11
Statements/Letters of Support 12
Project Renderings 24
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A Playground For ALL
At
RK Finn Ryan Road Elementary School
Project Goal and Summary
The goal of A Playground for ALL is to create an inclusive playground for our Ryan
Road students and families, as well as the members of the wider Northampton
community. Our vision of an inclusive playground is one that adheres to the principles of
universal design, which enables and empowers a diverse population of children and
their families to have access to outdoor play areas that support health and wellness,
creativity and social participation. This model allows for children of varying physical,
cognitive, sensory and social-emotional abilities to play, learn and grow together. Not
only will this project benefit all children by creating a truly inclusive playground, it will
also benefit teachers and caregivers who have mobility and access needs, allowing
them to play, interact with or supervise the children in their care. Our project serves to
enrich our community through updating the educational landscape for our children and
enhancing recreational opportunities for all of our community members.
Our design philosophy for an inclusive playground considers and addresses:
● Accessible and protective ground surfacing,
● Accessible entry/exit points, transfer points and ramped pathways,
● Rich sensory opportunities including movement, sound, color, and tactile
experiences
● A wide range of variability to support developmentally appropriate play,
● Seating options for rest, access to shade, and places for gathering and/or
communal eating,
● Built-in visual communication board that supports multimodal forms of
communication.
Landscape Structures is a leader in creating innovative and inclusive playground
designs, which are driven by extensive experience, ongoing research, and evidence-
based best practices. We feel confident that M.E. O’Brien & Sons, the local consultant
of Landscape Structures, has the expertise to collaborate on our inclusive design and
the ability to create a playground that reflects our vision.
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Project Background and Team
Prior to our elementary schools moving to our current model of inclusion programming,
Ryan Road was home to the GOALS program for students with significantly modified
curriculum needs, global developmental needs, and complex medical profiles. This
population certainly included students with a vast array of mobility needs, including
students who use walking devices, wheelchairs and children with visual impairments.
Ryan Road has a wealth of experience and knowledge pertaining to the challenges and
barriers associated with supporting the access needs of children with mobility
restrictions in a setting that does not support physical access. The drive to create more
inclusive and accessible outdoor play spaces has been building for years and years.
Last year, we successfully secured funding to add a new piece of accessible equipment,
The Sway Fun, to our Ryan Road playground. This equipment is wheelchair accessible
and allows any child to share in movement experiences with their peers. It has become
a well loved feature of our playground! It marks the very beginning steps of creating a
truly inclusive playground and inspired our committee to see the full process through.
We are a passionate team and we are dedicated to this mission.
Committee members visited Jessica’s Boundless Playground in Belchertown, which is a
beautifully inclusive and accessible playground for inspiration. Families around the area
travel to this playground from afar so that their children can participate in play and be
held within a community of outdoor learning. This playground is a wonderful example of
inclusion and was also built by Landscape Structures. We believe Northampton should
also be the home to a playground that is fully accessible and inclusive. We believe this
aligns with the values of the Northampton community, meets the needs of our students,
families, and community members, and adds to the long term economic development
benefits for the city.
Our Playground Committee:
Karen Albano, Ryan Road Principal
Andrea Egitto, Ryan Road teacher
Sarah Hougen, NPS District wide physical therapist
Kayla Reed, Ryan Road occupational therapist
Tony Kusnierz,Supervisor of School Maintenance
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Location - About Ryan Road Elementary School
The R.K. Finn Ryan Road Elementary School is a strong and actively involved
neighborhood school in Florence. We have approximately 243 students and offer two
classes at each grade level, K-5. We are committed to meeting the needs of all of our
learners. We are a friendly and collaborative school community and we adhere to ALL
members of our school and community feeling welcome and valued.
At our school, we take great pride in our outdoor environment and encourage students
to nurture nature. Students and classes spend a large amount of their time outside,
exploring our outdoor space. Many students and their families also spend time before
and after the school day playing outside on our playscape and throughout the school
grounds. Numerous youth athletic programs are held at RK Finn Ryan Road, including
basketball, baseball, and football. It is common to find many vehicles in our parking lot
and bicycles on our racks as the community comes to the school to spend time outside,
playing, laughing, and learning!
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Community Preservation Criteria
How does our project align with Community Preservation
criteria?
A Playground for ALL meets two of the four eligible categories of projects as laid out by
The Northampton Community Preservation Plan of 2022: Recreation and Open Space.
Open Space:
“Open space enhances the quality of life for residents. Undeveloped areas provide
places to experience beauty, solitude, and a connection with the natural environment.”
The current Ryan Road playground is set within the campus of Northampton’s Ryan
Road school which is surrounded by beautiful open fields, wooded areas, woods trails,
and wildlife. Our project aims to replace the existing playground at the school, remaining
within the current footprint of the playground. People who come to our playground will
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be surrounded by open space and have access to beauty, nature, and connection to our
environment. Furthermore, we will be serving the needs of those with disabilities in
public open space.
Recreation:
“Recreation contributes to the health and wellbeing of Northampton.
Well-developed resources for recreation enhance quality of life, increase property
values, improve health status for youth and adults, create a stronger sense of
community, and buffer the hard edges of the urban environment.”
While a wide variety of recreation exists in Northampton, a truly inclusive and accessible
playground space is missing. The current educational inclusion model in the four
elementary schools of Northampton serves a vast population of students with disabilities
and differing needs. The city must respond to the changing needs of our children and
our communities and provide recreational spaces that provide access and equity for all
members. The large red play structure on the current Ryan Road playground must be
removed soon due to corrosion and failure of the surface, which is due to age and
heavy use. The age and wear of this well-loved community space invites an opportunity
to replace the existing Ryan Road playground with an inclusive playground, further
supporting the CPA’s mission for effective rehabilitation and restoration of existing
facilities and the acquisition and creation of a recreational space for ALL. The Ryan
Road campus hosts Northampton youth football and Northampton Little League and
also houses the League Legends basketball courts. It would be a statement of
inclusivity to situate an accessible playground in a location that already attracts a variety
of recreational activities.
What community needs does the project serve?
The Need for Accessibility and Inclusivity:
Our beautiful city of Northampton is lacking a safe and accessible playground that
meets the needs of children, caregivers and teachers who use wheelchairs, use walkers
and walking aids for assisted ambulation, have other mobility restrictions, or who have
low vision or are blind. A Playground for ALL includes:
● A poured rubber surfacing (Flexground) that allows for easy travel of any
wheeled device and a flat level surface for those with orientation and mobility
needs throughout the ENTIRE playground space,
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● A fully ramped play structure that allows all children and adults to travel along the
entire pathway of the structure without step level changes or barriers to wheeled
devices,
● A large variety of ground level play options which further promotes playing and
learning together in accessible spaces,
● A wheelchair accessible merry go round that is embedded within the rubber
surfacing to allow for seamless travel of wheeled devices on and off the
equipment.
The Need for Effective Rehabilitation and Restoration of an Existing
Recreational Facility within the Presence of Open Space:
As stated in Tony Kusnierz letter of support, “ It is the inspector’s recommendation that
the TAN/RED play structure be removed/replaced because the cost to repair will exceed
its value. This is mostly due to corrosion and failure of the surface or paint on most of
the playground. The cost to replace all of the parts would exceed the cost of a new
structure. This is mostly due to age and heavy use.”
The red play structure at Ryan Road is a well loved component of the children at Ryan
Road school and part of a very well used playground within our community. The
recommendation for it to be removed presents the city with an excellent opportunity to
rehabilitate the existing facility, an older and inaccessible playground structure, to be
replaced with a state of the art inclusive playground. Not only will this serve the needs of
our community members, but it also provides access for recreation in the presence of
an open space.
The Need for Exercise and Physical Activity to be Embedded into Play
Opportunities:
The American Heart Association recommends that “kids 6-17 years old should get at
least 60 minutes per day of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity”.The
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) cites exercise and
physical activity as an essential component of health development in children. Exercise
builds strong bones and muscles, cardiorespiratory fitness, maintains healthy weight,
and reduces the risk of health conditions. Physical activity has a positive benefit on
mood, self esteem, cognitive performance, executive functioning, attention levels and
self regulation.
It is important for the city to provide adequate space and opportunity for our children to
have access to exercise that is fun, rewarding, developmentally appropriate, and
provides social engagement and community inclusion. It is also important that these
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experiences be free to the public, to provide equal opportunities for exercise and play to
all of our community members.
How will we guarantee the long term
preservation of our project?
Ongoing maintenance and upkeep
The playground is maintained by the School Department and will continue to receive
maintenance as needed. The materials proposed for this project have the benefit of
requiring very little maintenance, which was a major determinant in selecting this
groundcover option over grass or wood chips.
The rubber surfacing component of our project has a warranty of 7 years. The following
additional warranties apply:
●100-Year Limited Warranty: On all PlayBooster® and PlayShaper® aluminum
posts, stainless steel fasteners, clamps, beams and caps against structural
failure due to corrosion/natural deterioration or manufacturing defects, and on
PlayBooster steel posts against structural failure due to material or
manufacturing defects.
● 15-Year Limited Warranty: On all Evos® and Weevos® steel arches, all plastic
components (including TuffTimbers™ edging), all aluminum and steel
components not covered above, Mobius® climbers, Rhapsody® Outdoor Musical
Instruments, decks and TenderTuff™ coatings (except Wiggle Ladders, Chain
Ladders and Swing Chain) against structural failure due to material or
manufacturing defects.
● 10-Year Limited Warranty: On concrete products against structural failure due to
natural deterioration or manufacturing defects. Does not cover minor chips,
hairline cracks or efflorescence.
● 8-Year Limited Warranty: On Aeronet® climbers and climbing cables against
defects in materials or manufacturing defects.
● 5-Year Limited Warranty: On Rhapsody® cables and mallets against defects in
materials or manufacturing defects on polycarbonate panels against defects in
materials or manufacturing defects. Does not cover damage which may be
associated with the natural characteristics of bamboo aging, including but not
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limited to discoloration, splitting, cracking, warping or twisting, nor the formation
of algae, mold and other forms of fungal-type bodies on bamboo.
● 3-Year Limited Warranty: On all other parts, i.e. Pulse® products, all swing seats
and hangers, all swing chain and cables, ZipKrooz® cables, Track Ride trolleys
and bumpers, Mobius Climber handholds, Wiggle Ladders, Chain Ladders, all
rocking equipment including Sway Fun® gliders, belting material, LSI Flexx™
flexible cable netting, HeathBeat® resistance mechanisms, Seesaws, etc.,
against failure due to corrosion/natural deterioration or manufacturing defects.
Karen Albano, the Ryan Road school principal, and the larger school community at
Ryan Road are committed to ensuring that any damages be reported immediately to
enable repairs through the warranty process. When damage occurs outside of the
warranty period, our committee is confident that our amazing school PTO and
surrounding community of parents and stakeholders will be able to fundraise and
contribute to necessary repairs needed over the years.
Our school community can also rely on Northampton Public Schools maintenance staff
to assist us in guaranteeing maintenance and preservation of our project. We have had
the full support and guidance of Tony Kusnierz, our Supervisor of School Maintenance,
in development and decision making of our plan design. He states in his letter of
support, “I would be in full support of a new fully inclusive playground structure at RK
Finn Ryan Road Elementary School”.
How will the success of this project be
measured?
Throughout the implementation process, our committee will continue reaching out to
stakeholders for input and we will expand our committee to include those who would like
to become involved.
Our committee will share information and updates with our Ryan Road community
through our communication forum, Parent Square.
Our committee will work with our school PTO to incorporate our school communities
feedback, as we problem solve and finalize the details of our design.
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Our committee will survey the Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) with
regards to considerations and contributions when finalizing our design. This will ensure
that families and caregivers of children with disabilities have a way of sharing their
needs, experiences, and priorities for inclusion.
The main measure of success will be when A Playground for ALL is complete and is
successfully being used by the children and families of our community, regardless of
differing abilities.
Project Budget
Please see the attached quote on page 15 drawn up by O’Brien and Sons for specific
costs related to Flexground, equipment, and site work.
Multi-Year Funding and Timeline:
Due to the size and cost of this project, we have split this project into two parts, which
could be completed over the course of 2-3 years as funding allows. It is critical to begin
Phase 1 as soon as possible given the age and disrepair of the existing red play
structure. Phase 2 can be completed as funding becomes available. The estimated start
time for phase 1 would be Summer 2024 with phase 2 to begin in the summer of 2025.
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Statements/Letters of Support
Statement from Tony Kusnierz,Supervisor of School Maintenance
“Tan\Red Play structure: It is the inspector’s recommendation that the TAN/RED play structure
be removed/replaced because the cost to repair will exceed its value. This is mostly due to
corrosion and failure of the surface or paint on most of the playground. The cost to replace all of
the parts would exceed the cost of a new structure. This is mostly due to age and heavy use.
I would be in full support of a new fully inclusive playground structure at RK Finn Ryan Road
Elementary School. The Ryan Road grounds are one of the most used in the school district; an
updated new play structure would be enjoyed by many in the community. “
To: Members of the Northampton Community Preservation Committee:
I am the Ward 6 representative to the School Committee and am writing to support the
application of the RK Finn Ryan Rd. School to obtain funding for an inclusive playground that all
abled and disabled children can enjoy. The school playground is perfectly suited for this project
because the parking lot is adjacent to the play structure and it is easily accessible by car for all
children. It is unfair that only the physically abled children can play right now on the play
structure, but with funding the school can build an Inclusive Playground for all children to use.
There are no other inclusive, accessible playgrounds anywhere else in the city and I support
one being built at RK Finn Ryan Rd. School.
Margaret Miller
Ward 6 Representative to the School Committee
Aline Davis:
I write to support the granting of CPA funds to replace the R.K. Finn-Ryan Road playground.
This project is particularly worthy of consideration for a few reasons. Most significantly, the
design is for an inclusive playground. How wonderful to situate a place for all children to play at
such a high use playground and field! Another reason to consider funding is that it would
demonstrate an awareness of the importance of inclusivity in our community.
Please consider funding this worthy project which focuses on all children.
Sincerely,
Aline Davis
Northampton School Committee At Large
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Statements of Support and Impact from the RK Finn Ryan Road School
Community:
●“I wanted to reach out with support for A Playground for All at RKFRR. It would
be wonderful to have an inclusive playground space at RKFRR. Showing our
support for inclusivity is important and this would be a great way to do so”-
Kindergarten Caregiver
●“A playground that is not for all children is not a playground- it's another
opportunity for marginalization. Let's make the playground for all abilities shine
for our students and neighbors!”- Kindergarten Caregiver
●“Accessible playgrounds are for everyone! My children's grandparents could
never play on a traditional playground, so they often just stand underneath or sit
on a bench. Accessible playgrounds allow for way more involvement from all
kinds of kids and caregivers.”- Kindergarten Caregiver
●“What a wonderful use of the Community Preservation funds! Ryan Road School
is a perfect place with so much to offer, in the spaciousness of the campus, and
the accessibility of the fields, which draw members of our community from near
and far.”- RKFRR Community Member
●“My child was on the swings with her friend one day after school, and her friend
was using the red plastic swing. Her friend said the swing was "for babies," and
my child called over to her, "and people with disabilities!" Her friend said, "Oh
yeah!" And they kept swinging. I was particularly interested because I couldn't
remember talking about it with her, and then I thought about how she, her friend,
and I go on the Aero-glider (sp?) a lot and I have explained that it's extra cool
because people with disabilities who maybe use a wheelchair can go on it.” -
Kindergarten Caregiver
I think she applied that knowledge and figured out that "special playground
equipment" like the red swing might be for people with disabilities. I tell this story
to say two things - one, that I'm grateful for the aero glider because it's fun and
inclusive and helped my child learn about different abilities, how to use the word
"disabilities," and, I think, helps her expect that people/children with disabilities
are always part of what happens at school. Two, to make a case for Ryan Road
to get funding for more inclusive playground equipment so that the small number
we have don't stick out so much. I've been to a playground where there were so
many pieces of inclusive equipment that they blended right in with the other
equipment, and it just felt so much better than seeing one or two pieces of
"special" equipment. It shouldn't be special it should be the standard, and for that
reason we are writing to you to ask for your support. Thank you so much for your
consideration.” -Kindergarten Caregiver and RKFRR Educator
● “I am writing in support of funding for an inclusive playground for children of all
abilities at the RKFinn Ryan Road School. I live about a mile from the school
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and often go there to play with my five year old grandson. While he is very
physical and can access all the playground offerings, I notice often that students
of all ages, and families, really enjoy the inclusive areas because they encourage
play/hanging out by more than one person. I think more areas like this would be
a wonderful addition to the structures that exist already.
I do believe that the playground as a whole is in need of an upgrade. There
should be areas for inclusive play, and lots more variety of climbing structures
and jumping structures. I also think the base of the playing area should be soft
and squishy rather than wood chips. I think about the playgrounds at Groff Park
in Amherst and the Jackson Street School playground in our town as examples
of playgrounds worth emulating.
Ryan Road fields and playgrounds host a wide variety of events, from sledding
on the snow piles to football for youth, t-ball and baseball leagues, and
basketball courts. There are large open areas for expansion and I think families
from around the city are always searching for different places to take their
children for a variety of play experiences . That's what we do with our grandson
and I'm sure others do this as well. By expanding what RKFinn Ryan Road has to
offer, there's a chance to enhance the school play experience for kids who need
assistance, and to have that fold into community use as well.
I encourage supporting the grant to make the Ryan Road Playground even better
than it is.” -Kindergarten Caregiver and NPS Educator
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Project Renderings
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