Wayland Hears from Supplier Regarding Hannah Williams

Last week, Wayland got a glimpse of actual play equipment that could be used to renovate the Hannah Williams Playground on Main Street.

In early February, a for renovating the aging park and playground.

On Thursday night, Nancy White, vice president of sales for O’Brien and Sons, presented several play equipment options during a Hannah Williams renovation meeting. O’Brien and Sons is a supplier of outdoor playground equipment and holds a contract with the state of Massachusetts. Because of that contract, prices are reduced for cities and towns of the Commonwealth who purchase from the company.

White presented various pieces including options for one large structure, similar in function to what is currently at the park, but she also suggested that multiple separate pieces could be a better option for the site.

With multiple pieces, White said, the age appropriateness of the playground can be expanded to include options for a greater age range of children. The current equipment, White pointed out, might be geared toward children ages 5-12, but younger children are able to access the same spaces as the older children, which isn’t ideal.

Separate pieces, however, create “lots of play value, but [children] that won’t be able to be on something, won’t be on something,” which will help keep younger children safely playing on equipment geared toward them.

Regardless of the decision, White said she can put together packages that are “as natural or nature-[oriented] as you want.” Hollow log shapes, rocks, tree stumps and other items will help the equipment blend into the landscape. She cautioned attendees at the meeting to disregard the brightly colored equipment in the photos she brought, saying that neutral, natural colors were certainly options for the pieces displayed.

, one item individuals at the Hannah Williams meeting insisted must be included: A sandbox. It’s a request that White said can be easily incorporated.

Department of Public Works Director Don Ouellette reminded everyone that the Finance Committee has included $120,000 for the park in its proposed FY12 budget, on which the town will vote during the April Town Meeting. In addition, the Friends of Hannah Williams Playground has collected $14,000 in donations that can go toward the updates and a portion of the proceeds from an will also be donated to the project.

With the known amount of about $134,000 in mind, Ouellette said about $75,000 would go toward purchasing new play equipment; about $30,000-$35,000 would be used for installation, which will be completed by a company determined through a bidding process; and the remaining $24,000 could be used for other elements at the park, such as fencing, exercise equipment along the planned walking path or other elements.

“The other point I want to make is that this is not an end-all project this year,” Ouellette said, adding that creating a project in phases seemed a reasonable option for this park.

“It’s not just the playground,” White added. “I think the biggest thing about this park is everything else about it. The equipment is really important, but it’s the whole thing.”

Ouellette will next provide White with an exact layout and precise dimensions for the park so she can begin proposing possible pieces of equipment and plans.