The Middlesex County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday, Aug. 6 to approve a $311,000 expenditure to build a “special needs” playground/park on the old Rappahannock Central Elementary School property at Cooks Corner near the current basketball/pickleball court, skateboard park and Middlesex Pet Friends for Life Dog Park.
Part of the funding is coming from a $69,347 grant from Christine Thelma Taylor in honor of her son, Horace (Buddy) Lee Taylor Jr., with the request that the playground be inclusive for users with special needs. Tentatively, it is being called “Buddy Park,” in honor of Buddy Taylor, although county officials may give it a different official name later.
What are some of the features of a “special needs” park like Buddy Park?
“The park is considered accessible because the main features — a fish shack and boat — are manageable via ramps to those who may have trouble walking or who use mobility devices,” Assistant County Administrator AnnMarie Ricardi wrote in an email to the Sentinel.“It’s also considered inclusive, because it has features for children with diverse needs, which in this case includes educational boards, including a map of the continents and a pictograph of types of clouds, and a touchable sign language board with an analog clock, achieving tactile interest. The playground includes diverse play options, including swings, climbing rocks, slides, steppers, and nestled seating areas, recognizing that not all children have the same needs or play interests.”
The Middlesex County Kiwanis Club applied and received a grant for the park from the River Counties Community Foundation in the amount of $50,000 and $55,000 will come from COVID-19 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) for the total grant contribution towards the park at $174,347, making the county taxpayers contribution right at $136,653.
At the July supervisors meeting, supervisors agreed that a proposal to build the park presented by Superior/MaxFitPlay was suitable, but that the price exceeded the budget of $250,000, due to a last-minute addition of the Poured in Place base in lieu of playground mulch. At that meeting, supervisors did not approve the requested price of $316,759 and advised staff to bring back a contract from the vendor for $300,000.
At the August meeting, Assistant County Administrator Ricardi brought back to the board a price of $299,999 that would eliminate some of the special needs aspects of the playground. Supervisors added back $11,000 to accommodate those special needs items, which brought the total approved allocation up to $311,000.
Supervisors Chairman Don Harris thanked Ricardi for saving taxpayers approximately $5,000 by going back to the vendor and requesting a decrease in price.
