Lewes panel recommends Canalfront Park playground vendor
The Lewes Parks and Recreation Commission unanimously recommended Kompan as the vendor for a project to replace the Canalfront Park playground.
The new playground is aimed at improving safety and accessibility.
The vote took place at the June 17 parks and rec meeting. The commission had considered proposals from three companies.
Kompan submitted a bid of $399,785. The city has received a $125,000 grant from the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Trails Program. Mayor and city council included $382,825 for the project in the current budget.
Janet Reeves, parks and marina manager and assistant city manager, said the city can apply for a second round of funding through that program.
The Kompan proposal has a maritime theme. The proposed components include a sailing ship, a carousel and a kids table.
The other companies submitting proposals were Cunningham Recreation and Recreation Resource.
The current playground has become a safety issue, according to Reeves.
Commissioner Ann Colligan said she recently was able to get the city to make some repairs.
“Mothers had told me the playground was not exactly safe. There were nails and [loose] handrails,” Colligan said.
A construction timetable for the new playground has not been set, but the surface must be laid down in warmer weather, much like the recent resurfacing of the Canalfront Park tennis courts.
Mayor and city council will likely consider the recommendation at its June 27 special meeting and public workshop.
Subcommittee formed
The parks and recreation commission also voted unanimously at its June 17 meeting to form a strategic planning subcommittee.
The panel will engage in short- and long-term planning, and submit a report to mayor and city council before Jan. 1, 2025, to come into compliance with municipal code.
The subcommittee will be made up of four parks and rec commissioners – Kay Carnahan, Ann Colligan, Mardi Thompson and Mark Shue – along with a member each from the planning commission, bicycle and pedestrian advisory committee, and public art committee.
The goal is to collaborate with those other groups that have crossover with parks and recreation on the strategic plans.
Reeves pointed out that there are 10 subdivisions in the planning, approval or construction stages that will bring upwards of 1,000 new residents into the city. She said that growth will put increased demands on public parks and recreation facilities.
“We need to think about all these developments and how they’re going to funnel into our parks and beaches,” Reeves said. “Long-range projects might fit in with when these developments are coming online and when we will start to see higher use.”
Councilman Tim Ritzert, who serves ex officio on the parks and recreation commission, praised the commissioners for taking up strategic planning and understanding the impact it will have on the city budget.
“The demands are growing on the real estate that you all are managing. [We] really need to figure out how we’re going to meet those demands for services,” Ritzert said.
Bill Shull has been covering Lewes for the Cape Gazette since 2023. He comes to the world of print journalism after 40 years in TV news. Bill has worked in his hometown of Philadelphia, as well as Atlanta and Washington, D.C. He came to Lewes in 2014 to help launch WRDE-TV. Bill served as WRDE’s news director for more than eight years, working in Lewes and Milton. He is a 1986 graduate of Penn State University. Bill is an avid aviation and wildlife photographer, and a big Penn State football, Eagles, Phillies and PGA Tour golf fan. Bill, his wife Jill and their rescue cat, Lucky, live in Rehoboth Beach.