New playgrounds open at Greis Park in Lynbrook

Just in time for summer fun, two new handicap accessible playgrounds opened in Greis Park on July 14. The new additions include a playground for toddlers and one for children between the ages of 5 and 12.

The playgrounds offer children in wheelchairs a way to easily access the equipment by rolling straight up to it. It has already been a hit among children of all ages, according to Pat McDermott, the superintendent of parks for the Village of Lynbrook. “It’s being used all the time,” he said.

McDermott said the old playgrounds had woodchips that needed to be replaced each year, but the new structures have rubberized surfaces instead to protect children if they fall. The new playgrounds also offer new equipment for children to play on that is on par with other modern playgrounds, including multiple slides and a swing set. “The kids needed something nice,” he said.

Mayor Bill Hendrick agreed that the new playgrounds are good for the youngsters in Lynbrook. “That with the water park, it’s a nice day for a kid,” he said.

The process to build the new playgrounds took more than a year to complete because the older equipment had to be gutted and then the land had to be resurfaced. “It was a lot of work,” Hendrick said.

To build the new playgrounds, village officials received a grant for $100,000 from Assemblyman Brian Curran, who is a resident of Lynbrook. According to Hendrick, the grant that Curran awarded “went a long way” to help the village build the new playgrounds.

Hendrick also said he plans to refurbish the bathrooms in the park for the baseball and hockey leagues to use, and to add more picnic tables, which he noted are “very expensive.”