By RHEA-FRANCES TETLEY – Staff Writer

The Lake Gregory Company is in the process of designing an ADA-accessible playground that will appeal to both children and adults. This “destination” playground would be located adjacent to the dog park, next to the San Moritz Meadow, on the east end of Lake Gregory. The playground will wrap itself around the trees that already exist, so no trees will need to be removed.

There are over 30 different activities on the play equipment. The price tag is $400,000, including grading, utilities, all the equipment and tables.

The proposed playground equipment.

“A well-designed, inclusive playground enables children of all abilities to develop physically, cognitively, socially and emotionally,” said Lake Gregory General Manager Nathan Godwin.

The play structure they are considering is made of metal for strength and a durable recycled plastic that will last for decades and not get hot. The colors they have chosen will blend into the mountain surroundings so they will not be garish to the eyes.

In addition, these playsets are sustainable, using more than 50 percent reclaimed materials in each one. The decks, enclosures and roofs are made from 100 percent recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE) formed from milk jugs. Using this process, the manufacturer has diverted more than 18 million milk jugs and more than one million pounds of scrap metal from landfills since 2005 to make their playground equipment.

The playground area will have picnic tables and benches for parents to sit on while watching their children play. Since the playground will be adjacent to the newest dog park, those amenities will also be for the dog lovers to use. The meadow is just across the parking lot from these two play areas, so there will be much to do at that end of the lake, since the bait and tackle shop and kayak dock are also on the shore at that east end of the lake.

The Lake Gregory Company has applied for a 50/50 matching grant to build the playground, which means they must raise approximately $200,000 to get the playground installed. Each year, the Lake Gregory Company must give the county $50,000 that the county usually saves for disaster expenses, but it is hoped the board of supervisors may allow some of those funds to go to this capital improvement for their regional park.

On their website, www.Lakegregory.com/playground, there are photos and the plans for the playground and how to get involved in raising funds. They are seeking volunteers for this fundraising campaign. This is an opportunity to be involved and invest in the future of the Crestline community.

The Lake Gregory Company has already been passing out informational flyers during the Friday night concerts and elsewhere to raise awareness and support for the playground. On the website, a variety of thank you gifts for donations are listed, including bumper stickers, boat rides, parking stickers, beach passes. Anyone donating $1,000 will have their name on a donor appreciation plaque; donors of $10,000 will get to be a shoveler at the ground-breaking ceremony.

“By donating to fund the playground, you’ll touch the lives of thousands of children and the community of Crestline for decades to come,” added Godwin.