Highview Playground: From The Tear Down to Design Day

A lot has happened since the Highview Playground was closed and torn down last year. Here’s a recap of what’s happened so far with the playground and Patch’s coverage.

1990: The previous castle playground was built by the community's "bare hands." The Board of Education gave permission to raise funds and erect a Leathers Associates playground designed in part by Nanuet School District children.

2003: The district sank $58,790 into the playground "to keep it going." it was renovated and made handicap accessible by community volunteers working under the direction of Leathers Associates.

2006: New York Playground Survey Results listed this playground and about 70 others as unsafe. The survey listed two playground risks: unsafe equipment height and clothing entanglement.

2007: New York insurance company brought up the useful life expectancy of the playground and said it was a serious liability.

Summer: A new playground was built behind Highview Elementary. The cost was about $60,000

Sept. 13: At an Elementary PTA meeting, Highview Principal Barbara Auriemma told parents that the students will be using the new playground behind the school and will no longer be using the one across the street because crossing Highview Avenue was not safe.

The Nanuet School Board first brings up the issue of their insurance company not covering the playground. They decide to close the playground permanently and tear it down for liability reasons. They did not know what to do with the playground space at this time.

: Parents raised concerns about the playground’s closure at a Board of Education meeting. The playground has been taped closing it from the public. Nanuet community members Don Franchino and Frank Politano started a fundraiser in hopes of revitalizing the same playground rebuilding community project done 20 years ago

: The first Steering meeting of the Highview Playground’s rebuilding project. Committees were created and preliminary discussions began.

: The first general public meeting to seek out volunteers and answer questions.

February: picks up. go out to local businesses, and t-shirts are being sold, the Nanuet Rotary starts raising funds, starts offering video game parties to benefit the playground.

March 5: The Highview Playground has an informational booth at the

March 9: Corner Café launches their

March 25: Nanuet Elementary PTA holds . Proceeds from the raffles went to the playground

March 27: Premier Fitness holds a to benefit the playground

April 1: The Highview Community Playground gets their as a non-profit.

April 3: The Highview Playground has an informational booth at the

April 8: The Nanuet Rotary hosts an in benefit of the playground. Pete Fornatale, widely-respected rock historian and legendary New York disc jockey, discussed his latest book.

Mid-April: The steering and design committees narrows down the list of designers and goes with

April 20: held a cut-a-thon fundraiser in which 100 percent of the proceeds went to the playground.

April 26: . Architects from Leathers will go to both elementaries, get feedback on what the students want in the new playground, draw up the design for the playground and reveal it in a community celebration that night at 7 p.m. at the Nanuet High School auditorium