Harckham Announces $250,000 in Funding for Carmel's New Airport Park

Senator Pete Harckham has announced $250,000 in funding for an inclusive, adaptive use playground and, an all-purpose pavilion at Airport Park, a new park being constructed in the Town of Carmel. An adaptive use playground is built with a focus on wheelchair, ADA accessible and multisensory, developmentally friendly equipment, where children of all abilities can play together. The pavilion facility will have picnic tables and will include an area to barbecue. It will be available for residents to use for private gatherings as well as a place to host community events.

This is the fourth project funded by Senator Harckham to make children’s venues more accessible and inclusive. Earlier this summer, he announced a $250,000 grant to the Town of Yorktown for an adaptive use playground at Granite Knolls Park, a $15,000 grant to the Yorktown Community Nursery School to make walkways and entrances ADA compliant and a $25,000 grant to the Lakeland School District for an indoor playground for special needs students.

Senator Pete Harckham said, “The $250,000 grant I’ve secured for the Town of Carmel is being used to build an adaptive use playground for children with differing abilities and, a pavilion that can be used by all families visiting the park. Supervisor Schmitt, Parks and Recreation Director James Gilchrist and the Town of Carmel Parks & Recreation Department and Recreation Commission, believe, as I do, that we are stronger when every child has an equal opportunity to participate on the playground. When the park is completed, families will be able to gather at the pavilion, which will also feature picnic tables and an area to barbecue, and children of all abilities will finally have a playground in Carmel, they can call home.”

Kenneth Schmitt, Town of Carmel Supervisor said, "On behalf of all the residents of the Town of Carmel, I truly appreciate all of the support that Senator Harckham has provided to the Carmel/Mahopac Community. The Senator has demonstrated his willingness to work side by side with all elected officials, residents and in this case our sports associations/recreation advisory boards and volunteers in a collaborative effort to build and create a recreation facility that will be used by hundreds if not thousands of youths and adults in our community.

The Senator Harckham State Grant of $250,000.00 will go a long way in helping the Town of Carmel build a playground and Pavilion at the Airport Park Facility. Thank you Senator Harckham for always supporting the Town of Carmel."

James R. Gilchrist, Director, Town of Carmel Recreation and Parks, said, “On behalf of the Town of Carmel, the Recreation and Parks Department would like to extend our sincerest gratitude for the $250,000 grant you have made available to us to help fund the inclusive playground and pavilion at Airport Park. I can’t express enough how wonderful these additions will be for our entire community. Thank you for supporting the Town of Carmel."