Jackson Park committee plans to move forward on building new playground

SWAMPSCOTT-The Jackson Park Neighborhood Association, an ad hoc committee, is moving forward with plans to build a new playground and recreational area in lower Jackson Park near Machon Elementary School.Kevin Donaher, one of the founders of the Jackson Park Neighborhood Association, said the proposed project would provide a playground for children, gardens and passive recreational space for the entire community. He said when complete, the project would improve the quality of life in the neighborhood and provide a valuable resource for residents.Donaher said the committee is committed to building a green playground using recycled material whenever possible.?The surface area under the play space would be made of recycled materials,” he said. “We’d also like to purchase playground equipment made from recycled materials if we can. I think it would be one of the first green playgrounds in the area.”Donaher said he expects the project to cost $150,000 and the group already has approximately $60,000 in hand. The funds the committee has in hand includes $35,000 set aside by the School Building Committee to replace the playground that was torn down to make room for the new high school. And $10,000 of funding for the project is from a remediation agreement between the town and the Jackson Park neighborhood.The Jackson Park Neighborhood Association held a Harry Potter movie night last summer that raised $2,900 for the program. Donaher said the committee would be organizing several fundraising events this summer and is looking for business sponsorships.Donaher admitted some people haven’t donated in the past because donations were not tax deductible, but the organization is working with the Swampscott Rotary, which established an account that would allow people to make tax-deductible donations. Donations may be sent to Swampscott Rotary Charitable Trust/ JP Playground, P.O. Box 36, Swampscott 01902.Donaher said the committee hopes to break ground on the project in the fall.?We’re in the final process of picking the playground equipment vendor we will use and coming up with a design,” he said. “We would like to have a community build day to defray the cost of the actual installation of the play equipment.”The Jackson Park Neighborhood Association has established a Web site at www.buildjacksonpark.org to keep residents abreast on the community effort to construct a playground and passive recreation area in lower Jackson Park.