Lower Pottsgrove pursues inclusive Adventure Grove playground design and LSA grant; township to provide site, not construction funding

Lower Pottsgrove officials on Oct. 27 discussed plans to pursue an inclusive playground at Adventure Grove and the township’s strategy to fund it through grants and partner fundraising rather than local capital outlay.

Administrative Assistant Samantha Cronrath told the Parks and Recreation Board that the original concept for Adventure Grove had been framed as ADA-compliant but has been reworked as an "inclusive" playground design; she said the Township intends to provide the site while seeking external funding. Cronrath said the township will apply for a Land and Sea grant (LSA) and that grants and fundraising — not direct township construction dollars — are expected to cover the playground costs.

Why it matters: Board members asked about the difference between ADA and inclusive design. Cronrath summarized the distinction as accessibility versus practical usability: ADA compliance addresses physical access requirements while an inclusive design aims to make equipment usable in practice by children with a range of disabilities. Van Bramer pressed for clarity on fundraising totals and whether the township would be expected to contribute; Cronrath reiterated that the township’s role is land provision and grant facilitation.

Other park items discussed at the meeting included continuing maintenance work across township parks and a recent ringed-rocks cleanup; Cronrath said Public Works planted six trees at Sanatoga Park, repaired a sinkhole and performed routine storm-drain cleaning in recent months.

What’s next: The township will move forward with the LSA grant application in spring and provide updates on fundraising progress when available. No final funding commitment was authorized at the Oct. 27 meeting.