Work is expected to move ahead this spring on new parking and a new natural playscape at Tetreault Park in Rindge.
Tetreault Park, purchased by the Town of Rindge from the Tetreault family in 2005, has about 4 1/2 miles of maintained trail and a camping area and cabin at the trailhead located on Rand Road. It is maintained by the Rindge Conservation Commission. Rindge Recreation Director Dan Bemis said the first pieces of a playground that will use natural elements have already arrived, and at least a few large playground pieces will be installed this summer at the park.
“At a minimum, we’ll be able to install a few key pieces, and build off of that,” Bemis said. “In an ideal world, it would all fall together, and we’ll be finished by the end of the summer, but it’s also realistically possible that this is a project that will have to be finished next year.”
Bemis said the Recreation Department is heading a fundraising drive for additional playground equipment and landscaping, and it will likely be an expensive project to complete the playground to the level he envisions – as much as $100,000. But he said children won’t have to wait that long to get a taste of what the playground will eventually be.
The Recreation Department has been working with the Conservation Commission to plan a playscape that uses features made of wood, stone and rope, and takes advantage of the landscape, rather than using plastic or steel equipment. The Recreation Department has already used grant funding and the department’s portion of town impact fees to purchase several pieces, including a slide that will be embedded directly into a hill and use stone steps to climb to the top, a climbing net using rope connected to wooden posts, an 8-foot-tall wooden teepee fort and a gaga ball pit.
Bemis said the Conservation Commission is in the process of selecting a contractor to complete a new parking area at the trail head, to expand the very limited spots available there now. The parking lot is expected to be completed this spring, and then work will move on to the playground. Conservation Commission Chair David Drouin said the commission plans to create a new driveway into the property using crushed gravel, with parking areas on either side of the driveway allowing for about 12 parking spots. Currently, he said the park doesn’t have any official parking areas, but there’s room for about three cars in front of the gate, or six inside the gate on grassy areas that can get soft and muddy in the spring.
The Conservation Commission is interviewing potential contractors for the job and receiving quotes, Drouin said. The town will use funds from a conservation fund paid into when a resident removes their land from current use and has to pay back taxes to pay for the work. At the same time, Drouin said the contractor will also begin work to shape the playscape.
Bemis said the playground will be a unique attraction for Rindge.
“There are no playscapes like it in the surrounding area,” Bemis said. “This will be a new experience for the kids, and it’s definitely the future of recreation and playground. It’s more in tune with what kids actually want to play with. Based off the response, I think it’ll be a great resource for the town, and surrounding towns.”
Residents who are interested in donating to the Tetreault Park playscape project can contact Bemis at 603-899-6847 or recdirector@town.rindge.nh.us. The Recreation Department will be producing a brochure this spring with more information about the project and how to volunteer or donate, which will be available at public locations around Rindge.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.