By Audrey Kim and Emily Wang, Staff Reporters
At the Oct. 7 Tredyffrin Township board of supervisors meeting, assistant township manager and finance director Joseph DiRocco presented a draft master plan to the board of supervisors outlining proposed renovations to Friendship Park in Paoli. Aimed at improving the park’s accessibility and utility for the community, the plan has been in development since April through a collaboration between Parks and Recreation board members, township staff and consultants from Simone Collins Landscape Architecture.
“This started last year in conversations with the parks board about specifically Friendship Park and how it’s more or less an underused park we currently have,” DiRocco said at the Oct. 9 meeting. “We started discussing things that we can do. The best way to deal with this is a master plan.”
A key focus is ensuring the park meets Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards, which includes equal access to public spaces, buildings and services for people with disabilities, such as smooth, wide paths and ground-level play elements. According to Simone Collins consultants, the park currently struggles with old and uneven pathways, limited ADA-compliant parking, inaccessible benches and outdated playground equipment. Junior Celeste Russo, a regular visitor to the park and a wheelchair basketball player, welcomes the changes.
“I think the thing that needs to be focused on the most for renovations is smooth pathways,” Russo said. “I’m able to get to the park just fine because of how often I go, but the paths are not smooth and not made for wheelchair users.”
Other key aspects of the renovation include the addition of a pavilion featuring two new restrooms with a small storage area, an additional playground and nearby picnic spaces with ADA-compliant pathways to ensure wider access to the tables.
“I would love to see how we can make the children’s playground more accessible for disabled kids who want to use the play space,” Russo said. “We should try to make our park safer for people with wheelchairs or mobility aids.”
The plan also calls for accessible paths to picnic spaces, a fenced-in dog area, upgraded basketball courts with new backboards and nets, and measures to address environmental issues using sustainable materials and eco-friendly practices. The board hopes to complete the project in phases, with the first phase focused on parking and pathway improvements, followed by playground renovations and a new pavilion. Township officials estimate the project will cost around $1.8 million over a span of three to five years.
The renovations are especially important to Russo, who highlighted how Friendship Park’s atmosphere contributes to a sense of community.
“I love Friendship Park’s atmosphere,” Russo said. “What I love about it is that you feel connected to your community. It’s a diverse space where I see all sorts of different people.”
Audrey Kim can be reached at [email protected].
Emily Wang can be reached at [email protected].
