Crews work on installing playground equipment at Richard O. Hartley Park in Lakewood. P-J Photo by Michael Zabrodsky

LAKEWOOD — An update on the playground equipment installation at Richard O. Hartley Park was heard Monday by the Village Board.

According to the Lakewood Community Development Corp., the LCDC, community stakeholders, playground design experts, and village officials worked together to develop and approve designs for a dynamic, nature-inspired, Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant play space.

Vice President Ted McCague said the construction will be in two phases — fall and spring — with the phase one already begun.

“We are about three weeks into construction and we have been very fortunate with the weather. It has been great,” McCague said.

He added that equipment has begun to placed and “it’s beginning to look like a playground again.” The stone for the steps and the retaining wall are on site, and McCague is looking into getting a security system installed for the park.

Previsouly McCague told the board that a lot of time and care was taken to choose the right playground apparatuses.

“It includes an impressive variety of different structures and play areas from swings, slides and tunnels to interactive play units, a zip line and much more. Every element was specifically chosen to give children of all ages and abilities a safe, welcoming place to build new skills, friendships, confidence, and creativity,” according to an LCDC brochure.

In December 2021, a $456,200 grant from the state was announced for the village to be used for Hartley Park. The grant allows the village to upgrade the playground equipment while also addressing outdated infrastructure, including the installation of rain gardens, shade trees, landscaping with erosion control measures and other improvements. The park is located at the end of Chautauqua Avenue in the village.

The grant was announced by state Gov. Kathy Hochul as part of $196 million for 488 projects across the state, while the funding was awarded through the Regional Economic Development Council Initiative.

The LCDC said the completed playground will set the stage for future revitalization of Lakewood’s entire lakefront park, which will benefit Chautauqua Avenue shops, restaurants and businesses.

In other business, The board uninanimously approved a proposal from Clinton Brown Company Architecture, based in Buffalo, for national registration nomination services for the Village Hall.

McCague, who is also the village historic preservation committee chairman, updated the board on the process. Recently, McCague said, an application was submitted to to the New York State Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation Office. The application was reviewed and returned by officials. It received an approval, so the the village hall is officially eligible for historic preservation.

According to the league’s website, preservenys.org, the hall was constructed in 1915 to serve as the first established location for the volunteer Lakewood Hose Company. Over the course of its more than 100 years of continuous operation, the building also functioned as a police station, history museum, community center, and Lakewood’s Village Court.

The village has been awarded a $13,400 grant from the Preservation League of New York State to study the building. The village is planning for the building’s next generation of service. Clinton Brown Company Architecture is to prepare the Historic Structure Report. The Village will use this report for planning and funding capital improvement that will retain its historic character and improve its function for Village staff and residents.

Lakewood-Busti police also remind residents since Nov. 1 there is no parking on any village street from midnight to 7 a.m. The parking ordinance stays in effect until March 31, 2023.