New York State Senator Pete Harckham attended a ribbon cutting event today hosted by Ossining Mayor Rika Levin for a new playground in Sparta Park, which was funded with a $100,000 Community Resiliency, Economic Sustainability, and Technology Program (CREST) grant that he secured for the town. The final work on the playground was completed last month.
“This new inclusive playground here at Sparta Park will provide children of all abilities and from different backgrounds an opportunity to play and learn together,” said Harckham. “This project arose from discussions among neighbors and local elected leaders about how to enhance the park. I will continue to help financially support our municipalities as they transform their parks and playgrounds to create community-centered spaces while also keeping the burden down on local taxpayers.”
Village of Ossining Mayor Levin said, “What a pleasure to be cutting a ribbon for a new playground in Sparta Park on such a beautiful day. We are thrilled to have this inclusive play area for families with young children nestled in the Sparta historic district, overlooking the Hudson River, thanks to Senator Harckham. This is just one of several projects that the Senator has helped fund, with commitments totaling $550,000, in the Village of Ossining, and we are enormously grateful for his support.”
Sparta Park, with its remarkable vista of the nearby Hudson River and the Hudson Palisades, is in one of the oldest sections in the Village of Ossining. Part of the village’s diverse downtown district, Sparta Park is relatively small; it’s tucked between the Sparta neighborhood and the Metro-North Railroad’s Hudson Line tracks. While adults have long enjoyed the park, there has not been a playground area available for the enjoyment of younger residents.
In keeping with the objectives of the CREST grant, Sparta Park is located in an area where many residents live on densely situated properties or in multi-family homes with little or no yard space.
The new playground consists of a Landscapes Structures PlayShaper component designed for cooperative play among preschoolers ages two to five. Double slides, climbers and bridges allow several children to play on the equipment at the same time. The entire component at Sparta has a capacity of up to 25 children at any one time. The equipment rests on safety surfacing.
The awarded State Senate’s CREST grants are administered by the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) to support community and economic development. Harckham has delivered more than $30 million of State Senate grant funding to municipalities, first responders and nonprofits in the 40th Senate District since taking office in 2019.
