By Rick Palsgrove
Southeast Editor
Founders Bend residents approached Groveport City Council in August about having a playground built on open land in their subdivision and now that playground will become a reality by the spring of 2016.
In November, council authorized City Administrator Marsha Hall to pursue a grant and agreement from PlayCore, Inc. DBA GameTime to obtain playground equipment to be installed on a 5.3 acre site located west of the Founder’s Bend subdivision. The grant, which was obtained, pays for 50 percent of the cost of the playground equipment.
Two playground structures will be installed on the park land – one for ages 2- to 5 and the other for ages 5-12. The structures include slides, climbing features, gizmo panels, funnels, and more.
Hall said the type of playground equipment was selected by Founders Bend Homeowners Association representatives.
“These are two nice pieces of playground equipment,” said Councilman Ed Dildine. “It’s nice to see the residents get involved in this community project.”
Hall said the only difference between the two playground structures is that the system for ages 2 to 5 will be orange instead of blue.
“This was done to try to keep the age groups on their own equipment,” said Hall.
Hall said, including freight, the total price for the two systems is $93,887.
“We received a grant in the amount of $44,906 (half the cost of the equipment less freight),” said Hall. “We also ordered curbing to go around the area, engineered fiber and textile for inside the curbing, mats for the bottom of the slides, and a supervisor to assist with the installation in the spring. This was ordered now in order to save on freight. The total spent for everything was $60,827, which is within our current park fund budget balance of $63,391. We (the city) saved about $45,000 by obtaining the grant.”
Hall said, ideally, the playground equipment installation will be completed by a joint effort by city workers and Founders Bend volunteers, making it “a true community project.”
Under the city’s master parks plan, the proposed long term plan for the 5.3 acre Founders Bend park site also calls for the possible future installation of a shelterhouse and maintaining the site’s undeveloped open space for the unorganized play of field sports. A concrete drainage swale bisects part of the site cutting off nearly two thirds of the western portion of the open space.
Groveport revenue is up
City of Groveport Finance Director Jeff Green reported that the city’s income tax revenue for October was up 8.54 percent compared to October 2014 with receipts of $845,069 in October 2015 and $778,567 in October 2014. Year to date in 2015, Green reported the total income tax revenue is up 31.4 percent over the same time in 2014. Total income tax revenue thus far in 2015 is $11.2 million compared to $8.5 million at this same time in 2014.
