Lenape Park Inclusive Playground: East Brunswick Receives $750, 000 Grant

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ - Lenape Park, tucked into the southern elbow of East Brunswick's historic district off Old Bridge Turnpike on Millman Avenue, will be the home of a new playground for children with physical and neurodiverse challenges due to the quick-thinking and quick-acting EB Department of Recreation and Parks .

When a matching-funds grant became available on January 11 from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection , East Brunswick applied for the grant through Jake’s Law which is available to counties for the construction of completely inclusive playgrounds.  At the Township Council meeting on January 22, representatives of the Departments of Recreation and Planning Mike Reissner, Keith Kipp, and Mark Kataryniak described the plan for ADA-compliant additions to the existing site. John Roche, who was not present at the meeting, also facilitated the funding application.

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Commissioner Shawn La Tourette of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has notified Mayor Brad Cohen that funds have been approved through the DEP and the Garden State Preservation Trust for a Green Acres Matching Grant to fund the inclusive playground at Lenape Park. East Brunswick will receive a grant of $750,000 from the state, which it will match with $250,000 of local funds.

The new playground will include all elements that designate it as inclusive - perimeter fencing, at least 20% shaded area, a quiet area - as part of what Reissner calls "inclusive and accessible elements and design."

Kataryniak described "environmental enhancements" that would elevate the playground to make it eligible for the requested state funding. The playground unit will have a safe surface area and a patio and pavilion structure as part of the design.  There will also be improvements to the parking area and handicapped drop-off areas.

Lenape Park is 26 years old and has been the site of some recent damage by flooding of the basketball and tennis courts, as the park is located in the township's flood zone near the South River.

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Kataryniak described the new equipment which would be made out of more durable components designed into "better products that are more resilient."  The new playground would be on an elevated surface made of more hard-wearing materials.

"Congratulations to our Recreation and Parks Department for being awarded a $750,000 grant from the NJDEP and the Garden State Preservation Trust for a new “inclusive playground” at Lenape Park. The funding requires a 25% match for the full grant amount of $1 million. The renovation provides that all children, including those with any form of neurodivergent impairment, can enjoy the playground without restrictions. This will be one of the first in the state and is consistent with the township’s half century of commitment to the Special Needs community," said Mayor Brad Cohen.

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