The Westport Compo playground renovations were given the go-ahead by the Board of Selectwomen on Nov. 22. Play by Design LLC, a playground design company, is in charge of project planning. The playground will undergo renovations in the fall of 2024, scheduled for one week.
The Westport Compo playground was initially created in 1989. For a year, the Westport Rotary Club collaborated with the town’s government to identify an affordable option that would fulfill the community’s need for a new playground. The playground will be funded by a significant donation from the Westport Young Women’s League and the Westport Rotary Club.
“Westport Rotary will provide $100,000 seed funding for this renovation of the Compo Playground,” Rick Benson, Chair of the Westport Rotary Centennial Committee said. “We will be partnering with the Westport Young Women’s League and a local foundation who has also pledged $100,000.”
Many community members provided the committee with feedback, which they want to take into account while designing the new model.
“We are prioritizing improving the visibility, adding more accessibility and then we have solicited community feedback the designers are working on,” Co-Chair of the playground committee Samantha Owades said.
The Westport community has a big say in the playground renovation plans. The new remodel has taken into consideration the suggestions made by hundreds of Westport families during the planning stages.
“We solicited feedback from the full town through parks and rec. We have prepared survey results from over 1,000 families and have taken in lots of written responses as well,” Owades said. “We know everything won’t be able to be incorporated but we are trying to ensure the playground stays a town gem we all love.”
The community, especially Staples students, is being asked to assist the Compo playground committee while renovations take place in the fall of 2024.
“We are targeting an end of September build week. We will be looking for community help, including from the Staples community,” Owades said. “The playground was built and maintained by families for years and we hope to continue that great tradition.”
