A popular park in Levittown will be getting an upgrade in 2022.
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The Middletown Township Board of Supervisors voted earlier this month to purchase and install new playground equipment for Cobalt Ridge Park on Cobalt Cross Road.
The existing playground equipment was installed in 2005 and is aging, Middletown Township Parks and Recreation Director Paul Kopera said.
“Its joints are starting to get a little creaky, so it’s time to replace it,” he said.
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The township has been working to upgrade its parks in recent years and get into a regular equipment replacement cycle.
The new playground equipment will feature traditional and inclusive equipment for kids of varying needs and abilities, Kopera said.
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In addition to swings, slides, places to climb, and musical features, there will also be places for kids seeking solitude and easy access for those who are in wheelchairs, Kopera explained.
Supervisors Anna Payne and Dawn Quirple suggested the park should be more accessible during the planning process.
Kopera said the park is busy and has footbridge access from neighboring Quincy Hollow.
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Neighbors have been supportive of the parks and recreation program. A recent tree planting in the neighborhood drew nearly 50 people, Kopera said.
The supervisors approved spending $235,000 with Marturano Recreation Company, of Spring Lake, New Jersey to purchase and install the playground.
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The 2022 budget included $210,000 for the playground, but Kopera said increased material and shipping fees led to the cost increase.
In other business, the supervisors approved the purchase of five new police vehicles.
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Middletown Township police Chief Joseph Bartorilla said the department needed five new Ford Interceptor Utility vehicles, which are based off the Ford Explorer.
The five new vehicles, with two of them being hybrid SUVs, will cost $228,000. However, grant funds will cover $128,000 of the cost and $43,000 has come in from a past insurance claim, the chief said.
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Supervisor Dana Kane asked the chief if the department will track data related to the use of hybrid police vehicles.
Bartorilla said information on the vehicles will be tracked. So far, neighboring departments with hybrid vehicles have had good experiences.
The township’s mechanic believes the hybrid vehicles will save money on fuel and maintenance, Bartorilla said.
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