The city of
Southfield will host a dedication ceremony for the new universally
accessible “Play Farm” playground at Inglenook Park, located on west
Twelve Mile Road between Lahser and Evergreen Roads, on Wednesday, June
21 at 6 p.m.
The ceremony will
include remarks from Southfield Mayor Brenda Lawrence, City Council
President Sylvia Jordan, and representatives from W.K. Kellogg
Foundation, Boundless Playgrounds, and the Michigan Department of
Natural Resources. The new play area will then be officially opened to
the public following a ribbon cutting ceremony.
The “Play Farm”
was made possible through grants from the federal Land and Water
Conservation Fund administered through the Michigan Department of
Natural Resources and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The Kellogg
Foundation is supporting a statewide effort in Michigan to help
communities build fully integrated, universally accessible playgrounds
and recreation facilities and raise awareness about the benefits of
children of all abilities playing together. The Able to Play project is
a special effort to construct 19 barrier-free playgrounds throughout
Michigan. The project is coordinated by the National Center for
Boundless playgrounds of Bloomfield, Connecticut, which received the
multi-million dollar grant. This, in turn, is funding the Able to Play
challenge grants and technical, design, and support services.
The Play Farm at
Inglenook Park consists of farm-themed play equipment, including
tractor bouncers, animal cutouts and an enormous playscape that has red
barn top roofs throughout. The new Play Farm will be the largest
playground in the city, complimenting the existing fitness trails, ball
diamonds and the restored Miller Barn at the 42-acre Inglenook Park.
The safety fall zones surrounding the play equipment are covered by a
combination of rubber and wood fiber safety surfacing. The Play Farm
exceeds federal standards for accessibility, allowing children of all
abilities an opportunity to play together. Federal guidelines require
that 50 percent of a playground's elevated structure be accessible. By
comparison, a "Boundless Playground" requires that at least 70 percent
of play activities serve children with physical disabilities, allowing
for greater "integration" of all children.
The dedication
ceremony is open to the public. For more information, call Merrie
Carlock, Southfield Landscape Architect/Park Planner, at (248)
796-4618.