Planet Playground ready for liftoff: Exeter buys land, plans $595K rocket theme makeover

EXETER — Planet Playground, a popular spot for children and families in Exeter, could soon be getting a more than half-a-million-dollar makeover now that the town has purchased the land it sits on.

Select Board Chair Niko Papakonstantis announced on Jan. 16 the town bought the land for $50,000, paving the way for plans to renovate the playground with new equipment and features.

Town Manager Russ Dean called the purchase a “significant acquisition that the town has been able to take advantage of.”

Plans to revamp the wooden playground at 4 Hampton Road, known for its iconic rocket ship structure, have stalled in recent years as town officials have been reluctant to invest money on property the town didn’t own.

Exeter had been leasing the 40,000-square-foot parcel of land since 1998. The most recent owner of the land was the New York City-based company Aurora Health Network, which also owns the nursing home Exeter Center.

While the initial cost estimate for the new playground was a million dollars, Greg Bisson, the director of Parks & Recreation, said it has since been “pared down” to $595,000.

Voters at the March 12 Town Meeting will be asked to approve the project, with funding coming from a $297,500 grant from the state’s Land Water and Conservation Fund. The remaining balance for the project will be covered by the town’s unassigned fund balance, meaning no new tax impact to residents, according to Bisson.

Bisson said this project heavily relies on the town receiving the grant. Without the grant, the project will not proceed, even if voters approve it in March.

“We’d have to start from scratch,” he said.

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Why is a new playground needed?

The current playground is more than 25 years old, and the wood is deteriorating. Several items from the playground have been removed over the years due to damage and safety hazards.

A 2016 inspection of the playground by Leathers & Associates recommended a complete rebuild, noting the renovation cost would be more costly than a rebuild.

Selectwoman Molly Cowan said it was hard to make improvements to the playground before owning the land.

“It’s a relic of my early time in Exeter, and I love it there,” she said. “It’s really important — it’s built by the community, it’s such an important part of our rec camp and all the programs that happen there … it’s 25 years old and very splintery and not accessible … it’s all these different things that we really need to do a significant improvement.”

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New design will be a nod to the old Planet Playground

Bisson said Parks and Recreation sent a survey to residents in April 2022, asking what elements they wanted to see in a new playground. In May that year, the department used that input to request designs from eight of the largest playground manufacturers.

Three firms were selected to present the designs, and then the Parks and Rec, along with community members, narrowed it down to one.

Designed by Miracle, the new playground will have a rocket theme that pays homage to the “iconic rocket ship” structure.

“The playground was designed to be an all-inclusive playground for disabled and able-bodied kids to play together,” Robert Pettinelli, of Miracle, said during a presentation in 2022. “It’s an inclusive world — we have imported rubber so wheelchairs can get on the merry-go-round and kids can play with their friends … nets, and climbers that are accessible as well as ramps to get up on the system.”

Pettinelli said the playground will be a versatile playing area for kids with different strengths and abilities.

“It's the best of both worlds,” he said. “It’s for little kids and big kids, it’s for strong kids and weak kids at the same time.”

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When will Planet Playground makeover happen?

Bisson said the makeover project will not happen overnight. He said the grant requires a multi-step approval by the state, National Park Service, and the governor and state Executive Council. He expects the town will receive word if it receives the grant in the fall.

“We’re also going to be forming a Playground Committee to help fundraise to offset any additional costs that may arise, like if we wanted to build a pavilion there,” he said. “There’s several individuals that are interested in helping enhance more than just the playground and make it more of a social space.”

With the acquisition of the land, the Select Board also recently approved the removal of several trees surrounding the playground that have been a safety concern.

“The current Planet Playground has so many aspects that we couldn’t duplicate in today’s standards but definitely add functionality … it’s going to hinge on the community getting behind it,” Bisson said.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Exeter plans $595K Planet Playground after land purchase