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Manchester Parks and Recreation looking to replace Hunter Gattis Memorial Playground

Manchester Parks and Recreation is hoping to move forward with replacing the Hunter Gattis Memorial Playground at Fred Deadman Park after having to recently close a section of it due to safety concerns.

“We had to shut down this section of it as you enter from the parking lot due to age and the condition of the feature,” A.J. Fox, Parks and Recreation director, said during the board’s meeting May 11.

Fox said the playground is at least 25 years old, and was initially installed as a memorial for the late Hunter Gattis by his family after a fundraising effort.

Fox said he contacted a playground equipment representative about the existing playground, and was told that while new parts can be made for it, it would cost more money to restore it than tear it down and build a new one.

Manchester Board of Mayor and Alderman Representative Julie Anderson asked Fox about the possible liability of having a piece of playground equipment that is closed off to the public.

“We have the signs up, so if a kid goes on this anyway and gets injured are we okay,” she asked. “Do those signs protect us or not?

Fox said the signs are the appropriate action to take at this time, but are a temporary solution.

While only one section of the playground is currently closed down and is slated for removal, Fox said other sections are not too far behind it.

Fox said he has reached out to the family of Hunter Gattis, and spoken with his mother, Norma, who was instrumental in installing fundraising for the original playground equipment.

“Norma, she is concerned about taking it out, but she said she is willing to do whatever we need to help get it back,” he said. “She said she is going to get back on Park Partners and help raise funds. If she needs to go talk to the City Council about the importance of it she is willing to do that.”

Fox said the first steps are to determine what amount the city will be willing to contribute for the project and then determine if any additional fundraising efforts are needed. A replacement playground could cost around $750,000, with the majority of that expense coming from the surfacing for the project.

It is possible that the new playground could be purchased and installed in phases, but Fox said it is not possible to mix new pieces with old pieces due to different safety specifications.

The Manchester Recreation Department previously applied for grant funding last year in an effort to replace the aging playground, but they were not selected.