Wednesday, April 21, 1999
Building of playland postponed
Liberty Twp. group needs cash
BY ANNA GUIDO
Enquirer Contributor
LIBERTY TOWNSHIP — Volunteers hoping to build the proposed Fort Liberty Playland in a township park have had to postpone the May construction date while they continue fund raising.
“We can't build yet because we don't have the cash we need, and we don't want to be faced with having to borrow,” said Rick Titus, a member of Friends of Liberty Parks and Recreation, the nonprofit group that devised the project last spring.
The 20,000-square-foot playground structure will have connecting wooden mazes, tunnels, walkways, slides and other features. It is to be built at The Reserves Park off Van Gorden Road. The cost is $120,000. To date, about $20,000 has been raised.
Rather than scale back the project, volunteers decided last week to move the construction date to Sept. 21-26.
Until then, the project committee will continue collecting money and building materials, and recruiting volunteers.
With Liberty Township's population exploding, residents are demanding more recreational facilities. According to the 1990 Census, Liberty's population was 9,200. Today, it's estimated at 24,000.
The Reserves Park was chosen for several reasons. “It's along the bike trail system and it's the most centrally located of the township parks,” said Chris Matacic, president of Friends of Liberty Parks and Recreation.
Trustees are considering a request for money to help build Fort Liberty Playland and already have offered the use of township equipment and labor, trustees President Margy Conditt said.
Leathers & Associates Inc., an Ithaca, N.Y., playground design firm, has helped communities in the United States and abroad build more than 1,600 of these playland structures since the early 1970s.
The large playground concept using community volunteers has succeeded in other Tristate communities, including Colerain Township and Mount Washington. More than 1,000 volunteers built the $90,000, quarter-acre Mount Washington play structure in five days.
When it comes time to build Fort Liberty Playland, about 2,000 people will be needed to do everything from construction to providing day care.
Robert Leathers, president of Leathers & Associates, launched the community playland concept as a cost-cutting solution for needed playground equipment at his children's elementary school.
“Leathers & Associates' expertise will guide us through every phase up to and including construction,” Mrs. Matacic said. “The size of the playground depends upon the contributions received.”
For more information or to volunteer, call Rick or Jane Titus at 844-1399; Ken Krallman at 844-2616; Mrs. Matacic at 779-2659; or Toni Bergen at 755-6063.
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