Inclusive playground to be built at Pickle Park in Greenlawn

A playground that children of all abilities can use is set to open in Greenlawn before the summer is over.

Town of Huntington and Harborfields School District officials have approved a design to install a fully inclusive playground behind the Harborfields Public Library on Broadway.

The playground will be in Library Park, which is commonly known as Pickle Park. The town board last year entered into an agreement with the school district to take over maintenance of the park with the school district retaining ownership, and with plans to install the all-abilities playground.

Concept drawings for the playground were put on display in April to get public comment. Accessible and fully inclusive playgrounds are generally designed to accommodate all children, including those with physical, cognitive and developmental disabilities.

 “The public’s voice was heard and the plans were adjusted accordingly,” Town Supervisor Chad Lupinacci said in a news release about plans to move forward on the playground.

Ridge-based Laser Industries has been given the greenlight to proceed to purchase and install the playground equipment, according to the news release.

Public comments included retaining two playground entrances at their existing locations; revising a paved accessible walkway to route it farther from the existing basketball court; and installing additional roadway signage to alert motorists to the presence of a playground ahead. Some residents also objected to the name “Pickle Park” and believe more suitable naming choices should be made.

 Additional benches and shade trees were also requested, which is something Lupinacci said he hopes can be accommodated under a separate contract when the playground is finished.

The park is expected to be completed by next month, according to the news release.

The playground’s estimated $400,000 cost will be shared between the town and school district, according to town officials.

Town board member Mark Cuthbertson, who sponsored the resolution for the agreement between the town and school district, said he looks forward to the playground opening next month.

“We worked together with the Harborfields School District, the Greenlawn Civic Association and the community to make this playground renovation happen,” Cuthbertson said in the news release.

Pickle Park gets its nickname from students who named it as part of a contest years ago. The pickle industry thrived in Greenlawn from the 1870s through the 1940s. The hamlet was the home of Samuel Ballton, a former slave turned businessman who became known as the Pickle King for producing and selling 1.5 million pickles in a season in 1899.