By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- The town and village Joint Recreation Commission chairman says the board voted against spending money to repair the Creative Playground, but they are working to make sure a facility of some kind remains on the site.

“We feel, after hearing recommendations from the safety inspector and the number of violations there, it wouldn’t be feasible to put additional money into the playground,” Joint Recreation Chairman David MacLennan said.

He says there isn’t any money in the commission’s current budget to replace the playground.

The village is trying to hire a full-time grant writer and MacLennan says he thinks that person could help them get money.

“Some form of playground will be replacing that, I’m sure. That’s the aim of the commission,” MacLennan said.

He said his board’s next step is to create an ad hoc committee to further explore the issue and talk with stakeholders and village lawmakers.

Mayor Tim Currier says the ideal fix would revitalize both the playground and the nearby 100-year-old water fountain, which hasn’t worked for years.

“My overall goal is to look at that entire area, including the playground, the park and the fountain. There is a great deal of potential there, we should find the way to make it happen,” Currier said May 1. “Every option should be on the table. A number of questions need to be considered obviously. Can it be repaired? Is repair cost-effective? How will funding for any decisions be made possible?”

His order followed a survey done by Plan by Design for the Joint Rec Commission.

It cited two safety concerns.

First, concrete footers that had pushed up from the ground and are exposed. Second, there is a lack of sufficient ground cover. Over the years, weather has contributed to several problems with the crushed stone ground cover.

“This action does not mean the playground (equipment) is going to be demolished,” Currier said at the time. “Today’s action is to prevent serious injury to anyone that would utilize the playground, while the Joint Recreation Commission decides how they will proceed.”

The playground was erected in 1990 with what Currier describes as “unprecedented community support and volunteer efforts” led by the late Mark V. Sheehan, who served as Creative Playground Committee chairman.

“We fully recognize the important history associated with this playground and the value it has had to the thousands of citizens that have utilized it. We must keep this in mind as we decide how to proceed in dealing with the safety issues at this historical playground,” Currier said.

Currier says the Danforth Place park has deep community history, as the site was once home to the Massena Central High School, then the junior high school.

“Because of the historical importance of this site, along with the broad involvement and generous support of the community in building the creative playground, we should carefully consider all options when deciding how we move forth,” Currier said. “All options should be on the table as we decide how to return this park to our citizens for their enjoyment and recreational use.”