City of Lawton planning playground updates for more parks

A grant totaling almost $1 million, coupled with funding provided by the Capital Improvements Program Extension, will let the City of Lawton move into the next phase of its parks upgrade plan.

Members of the Parks and Recreation Commission signed off on that plan last week, when members learned about eight new neighborhood parks that are next in line for new playground equipment, as well as upgrades planned for Elmer Thomas Park and replacement of the aging wooden playground in Kid’s Zone in Greer Park.

Parks and Recreation Director Larry Parks said while CIP funding will help the city cover its share of costs, those funds are going further because of a $928,544 SPARK Grant from Play & Park Structures. That grant, which the City Council is expected to vote on this week, is designed to help the City of Lawton in its purchase of playground equipment, said Heather Harp, recreation consultant for Play & Park Structures. Under the terms of the grant agreement, the City of Lawton must have playground equipment purchases completed by Oct. 31.

That means the city’s Parks and Recreation Department needed to identify the next round of parks that will see upgrades, which city staff has done. Parks said the SPARK Grant will cover about 40 percent of the cost of the equipment in that next round, leaving the city to fund the remaining 60 percent. That is a little easier with a funding category in the new CIP, which dedicates a permanent one-quarter-percent from the sales tax for parks and recreational amenities.

Cost savings to be realized from the grant range from $44,505 at Willow Creek Park to $240,246.50 for the Kid’s Zone replacement project.

Upgrades planned at eight city parks total $2,434,308, with the city responsible for $1.746 million because the grant will cover the remaining $688,297 of the cost.

Parks said Round 2 of the parks upgrade program includes at least one park in every City Council ward. Work today is being focused on replacing aging, deteriorating or outdated playground equipment, with additional amenities (such as bathrooms) delayed to a later date, he said.

Five parks are receiving large playgrounds, which will contain up to 200 children at one time: Gooch Acres, Skyline East, Prairie, Mocine and Lee West. 35th Division Park on Northwest 6th Street will receive a mid-size playground, while Willow Creek and Hunter Hills parks will receive small units.

In addition to a new Kid’s Zone in Greer Park, Phase 2 also is expected to include construction of an amphitheater and boardwalk near Lake Helen in Elmer Thomas Park.

Those parks join eight other parks that have been upgraded with new playgrounds or are nearing completion. Parks completed in Round 1 include Panther, Fred Bentley, Gray Warr and George M. Lee, with work to be completed this month on Wayne Gilley Park and MacArthur Park. Plans also are under way for Mattie Beal Park and McMahon Park. City officials said additional work is planned for Fred Bentley and Panther parks: the addition of swing sets and park benches at both, a table at Fred Bentley Park and trash cans at Panther.