LINN  — Inclusive Playground committee member Osage County Special Services Director Megan Reichart said this week that things are moving forward with approval from the Department of Natural Resources and Linn Mayor Dwight Massey’s authorization to enter a contract. She hopes to have the new equipment installed next spring.

“The equipment has been ordered, and it should be around March when the equipment comes in,” said Reichart.

The project began in 2018 with planning and development by committee members Megan Reichart, Tracy Winslow, Stacy Bax, Christina Laughlin, Cathy McCuskey, and Travis Greer.

In 2019, the committee held an open house to present the idea to the community. “We wanted to introduce the community to our idea and help gain support,” said  Reichart.

That gathering led to support from the community, which continues to be present in donations and volunteer service.

The Inclusive Playground was initially planned at the Linn Lions Club fairgrounds, where the sand volleyball court currently sits. However, that plan changed, and the new equipment will be installed at the Linn City Park, where the current equipment was installed in 2003.

Reichart said she is thrilled with the committee’s partnership with the city of Linn. “City Clerk Carrie Grellner has been helpful every step of the way,” Reichart added.

DNR rejected two bids received in February, one from the Hutchinson Group and one from Unlimited Play because neither bid met all the requirements.

The project had to be rebid and at the board’s September meeting, Linn aldermen approved a bid totaling $461,999 from PlayPower LT Farmington, Inc. for the Inclusive Playground after Grellner said that she had received final approval from DNR. The second round included only this bid.

With the approval of Bill #20232-020, aldermen also authorized Mayor Massey to enter a contract with PlayPower LT Farmington — formerly Little Tikes — regarding the project, and the city is ready to move forward. Massey noted the project leader has yet to be determined.

However, he is extremely excited to get the project going. “Unfortunately, we’ve had some delays, but we will keep making improvements to the park for the people of the community,” he added. “We want this to be the best park in the area.”

Initially, the hope was to install the new equipment in the summer of 2020, but COVID-19 slowed everything down. “After that, we had to make sure that our bids were in line with what DNR wanted,” said Reichart. “It took longer than we would have liked, but I’m happy we’re getting close.”

GRANT FUNDING AND LOCAL MATCH

The Inclusive Playground committee had secured a $30,000 grant from DNR, but that fell through. However, United Way of Central Missouri awarded a $20,000 grant, and $10,000 was pledged by the Helping Hands Foundation through Three Rivers Electric Cooperative.

Last November, DNR awarded the group a Land and Water Conservation Grant totaling $229,911.20 toward the construction of the playground.

The group has secured more than the required 50% grant match, thanks to donations and fundraising efforts.

Reichart noted that any funding remaining after the project is complete will be put toward the park’s upkeep or another project, depending on the situation.

“I’m hoping we come in under the bid amount,” she added. “My goal is to make sure the park is in good shape long after this project is completed.”

Reichart said the people at Unlimited Play are surprised at the dedication volunteers have shown. “They’re out of St. Louis and don’t see this kind of thing,” she explained. “They have no idea how we do it, or how our community steps in and does whatever it takes. Look at the football program. The people in this town get it done. We’ll save Linn a lot of money by having skilled people take on projects the city would otherwise have to finance.”

HOW IT BEGAN

Development of the playground project began after Reichart noticed that other counties in Missouri were building inclusive playgrounds in their areas.

“I thought this would be a great thing to bring to Osage County,” said Reichart, noting she contacted the mayor, and he directed her to the park board, whose members attended the first meeting with Unlimited Play and liked the idea.

Unlimited Play of St. Charles had been recommended with high praise, Reichart said, adding that a representative met with the committee and presented information about inclusive playgrounds and a booklet of playgrounds that they designed and explained a little about how the whole process works. Unlimited Play works exclusively with Little Tikes; both companies are Missouri-based. 

The committee began by picking a “Farm Theme” for the playground to honor the county’s rural roots. Unlimited Play then fully designed the playground for the committee with input from members on what type of equipment was wanted. 

The reason for the project is simple. “Play is an integral part of child development, and kids and adults with disabilities are forced to sit on the sidelines while their friends play on the playgrounds,” said Reichart. “Very few fully inclusive playgrounds exist. There are lots of playgrounds that are ADA-compliant, meaning you can get to the play stuff, or you can use a piece of play equipment. However very few are fully inclusive.” 

WHAT IS AN
INCLUSIVE
PLAYGROUND?

A fully inclusive playground allows kids with disabilities and able-bodied children to play side by side on all equipment. “If you are a parent with a disability, this inclusive playground gives you the ability to play on the equipment with your children,” Reichart added. “It also allows you to be able to reach your children if they need your assistance.“

These playgrounds are specifically designed to remove physical and social barriers. Unlimited Play playgrounds have features including smooth surfacing to ensure mobility; ramping to every platform; sensory-rich environment; harmonic musical instruments; roller and metal slides for children with Cochlear ear implants; red pieces around any moving objects for sight-impaired individuals, and parallel play elements.

Reichart said that initially, the playground was designed to include a small splash-pad area for cooling purposes as some individuals with disabilities or critical illnesses have a difficult time regulating their body temperatures and need this type of cooling feature on a hot day. However, that was removed from the plan due to the infeasibility of having continuous running water at the park.

Reichart reiterated that this playground is for everyone, and the intention is that the playground be able to be accessed during daylight hours.

According to information submitted in the grant application, approximately 7.4% of Osage County residents under 65 are living with a disability.

“One great aspect of this project is that families in Osage County will experience recreation and play without having to travel to another county or region to meet accessibility needs,” said Reichart.

In addition to children with disabilities, the park will provide a place for therapeutic moments for military veterans who have suffered injuries or disabilities.

“This is truly an all-inclusive playground,” said Reichart.

OCSS, which contributed to the project, sees this as an urgent need in the community. Reichart believes a significant gap in residential and community living needs to be addressed as quickly as possible.

PLANNING FOR
INSTALLATION

Trees at the park in the path of the new playground, which will be more than twice the size of the current setup, had to be cut down. The remaining stumps must be removed and the ground leveled before a concrete pad can be poured.

“We had to cut them down before March,” said Reichart. “We can only remove trees from November to March because of hibernating bats that may use the trees. You can’t disturb them once they’re hibernating.”

Committee members and other volunteers removed these trees. Other volunteers will spearhead the concrete project in consultation with Unlimited Play.

Reichart believes equipment removal will be done during winter when the park is used less.

“We’re trying to leave the existing playground equipment up as long as possible,” she added. “Our estimate at this time is probably sometime around December — if we can get some good weather to get those tree stumps out — to get the groundwork done and start the concrete. We’ll have to remove the equipment at that point, but the city is requesting we leave the equipment in place as long as possible because we don’t want to have the park without equipment.”

While the city park is closed for the transition, visitors can go to Maguire Park.

Reichart thanked the community and donors for their patience. “It’s not easy to get everybody on the same page, especially if you’re dealing with grants,” she said. “There have been a lot of roadblocks, and Unlimited Play has told me that this is one of the more complicated projects they’ve ever seen. We’ve stuck by it, and we’ll get it built.”