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Dear Friends and Neighbors:
After careful deliberation, City Council recently made the difficult decision to remove the “Tot Lot Playground” (Tot Lot) play equipment behind City Hall. I wanted to update you on this decision and our plans to find alternative recreational opportunities in the community for our children.
This issue was discussed and acted upon at several public meetings over the last several months based on the following factors:
1. At the time of construction of the Tot Lot roughly 30 years ago, the emergency call volume in the city was substantially lower than it is now. Over time, it became apparent that having a playground nestled between emergency vehicles moving at high rates of speed and heavy equipment was increasingly risky. In the not-too-distant past, a child on a bike was hit by a Police Officer in the City Building parking lot. Thankfully, the child was not injured. As call volumes increase year after year, the risk of a child getting seriously injured or worse is of significant concern.
2. The existing play equipment was 30 years old and needed to be replaced for safety, usability and aesthetic reasons. It also did not meet modern standards for recommended safety fall zones and surface materials.
3. Additionally, we need a location to store salt for road treatment in the winter months. We currently utilize storage facilities on Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 6 (KYTC-D6) property and getting access to it has been challenging at times. Additionally, KYTC-D6 has told us that to store salt there, we must purchase it from them at a much higher price than we currently pay.
As far as replacing the Tot Lot, City Council has decided to set aside a portion of the former Fort Wright Civic Club (FWCC) site, for a playground designed for a wide age group of children. The play structure is currently being designed, and we are working through the acquisition process, which may require bidding the project to be compliant with purchasing regulations established by the Commonwealth. Our engineering team will be on-site next week to survey and locate utilities. Once the order is finalized, there will be several weeks of lead time to receive the equipment and have it installed. We hope to have it in place as soon as possible and we should have more specific details to share soon.
As you may know, we are evaluating not only the construction of a playground on the FWCC site but also a picnic shelter. We see the transformation of this property occurring in three phases. Phase 1 being the playground, Phase 2 being a shelter with picnic tables, and Phase 3 being other recreational options which may include a new civic center. Of course, budgeting is always a concern as are impacts on the neighborhood, and the City’s Working Group on recreational/community properties continues to actively evaluate Phases 2 and 3.
The now vacated Tot Lot site will house our salt storage facility. Having salt and de-icing materials available on-site will greatly improve our ability to keep roads clear and safe and will ultimately save the city money. Additionally, in the event of multiple storms, suppliers can run short of salt or prioritize larger cities, so having our own supply fully under our control solves that problem and allows us to avoid waiting for deliveries during regional shortages.
Additionally, salt prices can swing wildly during harsh winters, so buying salt in bulk during the off-season means we can lock in contracts before demand spikes and avoid “panic pricing” when everyone else is scrambling. This new facility will also keep salt dry, contained, and prevent runoff into nearby soil and waterways.
As these projects move forward and plans are finalized, we will share more information in Council meetings, in our newsletter, and through our social media outlets.
As always, please reach out if you have any questions or concerns. We greatly appreciate the opportunity to serve our community, and we are excited about how these two projects will benefit our City.
Best Regards,
Dave
Dave Hatter, Mayor
City of Fort Wright
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