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| | | Colleen Larsen of Setauket holds Maddie, 1, at the top of a new slide while Damon Swaner, 3, and Devon Larsen, 2, await their turn to slip down the colorful equipment. Photo by Lee Lutz (click for larger version) | |
September 23, 2009 | 04:11 PM
The planned improvements to Percy Raynor Park on Nesconset Highway in South Setauket are virtually complete and, if the opinions of two moms are any indication, a success.
"It looks great," said Lynn Swaner of Yaphank, visiting the park Monday morning with her son Damon Jr., 3, and her friend Colleen Larsen of Setauket. Damon was playing on the new kiddie playground equipment along with two of Larson's children, 1-year-old Maddie and 2-year-old Devon. Swaner said her home is closer to the town park in Holtsville, but, "This one is more accessible for little kids."
Larsen said her older son, Aiden, 6, plays baseball on the diamonds near the playground area. "When the older kids play ball," she said, the playground is "something for the younger ones." Larsen said she also appreciated the improvements to the ball fields. New fences have been installed throughout the complex, a new building for rest rooms is complete, a third baseball field added and two all-purpose fields are in use already for football, lacrosse and soccer. All the facilities at Percy Raynor are lit, permitting day and night play on the fields.
One more amenity, a sun-screened patio area, is complete but for one addition. "There should be benches and tables," opined Swaner.
"The sun roof was only finished last week," said Councilman Steve Fiore-Rosenfeld (D-East Setauket). "The tables and benches are coming, probably within a couple weeks." In the meantime several bench and table sets are dispersed under the trees between ball field number three and the rest rooms.
Fiore-Rosenfeld said the two new all-purpose fields were elevated, drainage and sprinklers installed. He added that the park improvements included more parking and new paving to replace that which served park users last year. "There were potholes that could swallow an SUV," the councilman said.
"[Town Parks Commissioner] Ed Morris deserves kudos," said Fiore-Rosenfeld, for overseeing Percy Raynor's makeover.
The councilman said "about 40 percent" of the cost of the upgrades and additional facilities was covered by a $1 million fee paid by Lowe's at the time the home improvement supplies chain received approval to replace the old K-Mart store in Stony Brook. The balance was funded from the Brookhaven Town capital budget, borrowed money intended for long-term improvements or new construction.
Fiore-Rosenfeld pointed out the chain link batting cages now located behind field number three, "moved from Oxhead Road [park]." The overuse of that Stony Brook facility has been an ongoing dispute between residents living adjacent to the ball fields and the Three Village baseball and softball leaguers that play hundreds of games each season at the two parks.
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