BROOKVILE — Council approved a resolution allowing the city manager to submit two Montgomery County Community Development Block grant applications for two projects and to enter into subsequent contracts for the projects.

City manager Sonja Keaton said one of the grant applications is for the purchase and installation of an inclusive playground in Golden Gate Park.

Keaton said the second grant application is for the demolition of the former LCNB bank and drive-thru on Hay Avenue.

Keaton said the inclusive playground will be installed in the area where the BMX track was once located.

“This playground allows children with disabilities the ability to participate and play with other children,” Keaton said.

According to literature provided to council by Keaton, “an accessible play area means that a child who uses a wheelchair can get into it. If it is inclusive, then the play activities have been selected and laid out in such a way that the child in the chair can engage with children of different abilities while they play.”

The National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD), a public health practice and resource center on health promotion for people with disability, states

“an inclusive playground considers not just physical access, but also emotional, social, and psychological benefits of play. It encompasses the philosophy that children and adults of all abilities benefit immensely from being able to play and interact together.”

Keaton indicated the total cost to purchase and install the inclusive playground is $425,000.

“We are requesting $200,000 in grant funding through the Community Development Block Grant,’ Keaton said.

Keaton told council she also plans to submit an application to the Montgomery County Solid Waste District for additional funds for the project.

“I have plans to submit this inclusive playground to Montgomery County Solid Waste because a lot of the material for the playground equipment is made with recycled plastic materials,” Keaton said.

Keaton said funds for the Hay Avenue project will be used to convert the former LCNB property into a public parking lot.

Keaton said the total cost of the Hay Avenue project is estimated at $25,000.

“We are requesting $22,500 in grant funding with the city contributing $2,500,” Keaton said.

Reach Terry Baver at [email protected].