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Bethel Park breaks ground on latest park playground

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On Oct. 1, the municipality of Bethel Park broke ground on its latest playground installation.

“Incorporated into the renovation of Oak Tree Park we were able to accomplish two goals,” Tim Moury, Bethel Park Council president, said. “We’re upgrading the playground equipment and pavilion, and including stormwater management.”

Not only is the park being upgraded, but it was also moved from its old site because of the location of the new underground tanks that were installed to collect stream water drainage. The old pavilion was also removed to make room for a larger overall playground space.

According to municipal engineering director Stacey Graf, the new playground equipment will accommodate children ages 2-5 and 5-12. Other amenities will include swings in the upper area, a sunshade for patrons using the playground and for baseball spectators, a new playground with equipment selected by local residents and Bethel Park’s first Gaga Ball pit.

Gaga Ball is a dodgeball-like game where players roll the ball with their hand to tag other players.

After the playground is complete, work will be done on sidewalks near the park.

In 2020, the municipality also completed an approximate $400,000 stormwater project for the park to alleviate flooding conditions.

“The project was done as part of council’s commitment to complete flood-mitigation projects through the municipality on public property,” Graf said.

Work consisted of installing a diversion structure to intercept and move flow from Summit Streets storm sewers to a new underground detention tank field, which collects runoff from 3.5 acres of upstream drainage and can hold about 116,000 gallons of water.

Also installed were two new rain gardens to hold back 71,000 gallons of water, and French drains around the baseball field to collect water from area springs and a pond, resulting in significant water improvements.

Water from the facilities outlet into an existing 18-inch storm sewer that runs through the park that slowly releases into the downstream pipe over a longer period of time reducing the amount of flow and thus reducing flooding.

The project was completed in 2020 by Morgan Excavating.

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