Teens have sorted through the details of every possible feature of a new park in Franklin, picking a merry-go-round with deep enough seats to safely secure a child with a physical disability.
The see-saw that will be installed can accommodate a child who uses a wheelchair.
A slide has rollers, so a child who can’t use his or her arms to push themselves down can still use it.
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Click here to purchase photos from this galleryThe teens behind every feature are members of the Franklin Youth Leadership Council and have been making pitches to local organizations and businesses to raise money and get grants.
Now, they are ready for the public to help make it all come together.
Construction of Unity Park inside Blue Heron Park is underway, and residents are invited to a community build on Saturday. The park won’t be completed this weekend, but help is needed to make progress. Volunteers are gathering at 9 a.m.
Unity Park is not only for children with physical disabilities or special needs. Rather, it is an inclusive park, designed in a way that able-bodied children and youth with special needs can play side-by-side, said Jonathan Ott, a Franklin Community High School senior and president of the youth council.
The playground, which is visible from U.S. 31 at the entrance to the Franklin Lakes neighborhood, will replace a playground further west in the park that was prone to flooding.
The mayor’s youth council is a group of Franklin Community High School teens formed in recent years to engage with city government and take on special projects that interest them and improve the community. Mayor Steve Barnett champions their work and connection with city government. The first project, completed last year, was to redesign the city’s flag.
This year, the group decided to design, raise money for and build an inclusive park for Franklin. They did their research, learning that 2,000 school-aged children with special needs live within an hour of Franklin, and the closest parks with special features for them are in Greenwood and Bloomington.
The money for the $305,000 project is coming from money raised by the youth council, the city’s parks general fund, impact fees that homebuilders pay when a new home is built and donations.
A special flooring surface cost $127,000 of the total budget, but the teens said is was crucial to not use mulch so that children who use wheelchairs or who have mobility issues can get around.
The group will continue raising money for the project, even after the work is complete, and then reimburse the city’s funds as much as it is able. The council will take on another project next year, although it will work on continual fundraising.
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Community build at Unity Park
When: 9 a.m. Saturday
Where: New playground site at Blue Heron Park, located off U.S. 31 at the entrance to Franklin Lakes, across from Greenlawn Cemetery.
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