This story was first published on June 21, 2025.
Maplewood Township will be presenting plans for an all-inclusive playground at Maplecrest Park on Wednesday, June 25 at a special virtual and in-person meeting.
The meeting was announced by Deputy Mayor Malia Herman at the June 17 Township Committee meeting, and an email was sent to residents on June 19.
“We’re going to be presenting where we are at with the plan so that we can move this forward,” said Herman about the long-anticipated and discussed playground.
The plan is to create a play space with components that address physical, cognitive, social, sensory, emotional and other needs. An earlier plan was introduced in February 2024, but bids for the project came in over estimates.
The playground’s development is being guided by the All Access Committee, which was recently reauthorized and extended through June 30, 2026. Committee members were appointed earlier this year. The purpose of the committee is “to enhance the quality of life for disabled and neurodivergent individuals and their families, by working to ensure accessibility, inclusion, and equitable access in the provision and delivery of municipal programs, services, activities, and facilities.”
But the township is also seeking broader input.
Per the June 19 email from the township, “Maplewood Township, in response to the community’s desire for an inclusive playground, has applied and been awarded a $750,000 grant from NJ’s Green Acres Program for Jake’s Law Playgrounds. Jake’s Law, passed in 2018, encourages the building of inclusive playgrounds that are designed with standards that exceed those required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and result in beautiful inclusive spaces that accommodate children and adults with disabilities alongside their non-disabled peers. The Township’s vision is to create a vibrant and inclusive space that promotes the physical and social well-being for all, located adjacent to other recreation areas at Maplecrest Park.”
The email announcement continues, “The Township has engaged Suburban Consulting Engineers to design the inclusive playground, and we have worked with them over the last few months to create playground concepts that build on the public discussions held prior to the grant application. Please join us on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, at 7:00 pm to discuss our concept of an inclusive playground and provide critical feedback before we move to the construction phase.”
Community Meeting: All-Inclusive Playground Concept
- Date:06/25/2025 7:00 PM
- Location:Virtual
The public engagement forum will be held in person, via Zoom, and live streamed on YouTube.
In Person:
Maplewood Town Hall
574 Valley St.
Via Zoom:
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://twp-maplewood-nj-us.zoom.us/j/87876298932
Via Telephone:
929 205 6099
Webinar ID: 878 7629 8932
Via YouTube: