Tot Lot upgrade plan presented to Town Board

Back in 1996 a group of mothers and their families pushed for creation of a site where their young children — 2-to-5-year-olds — could play and give those caretakers an opportunity to socialize .

The cost at the time was $35,000 to purchase equipment and the Town signed an agreement to lease the site owned by the Shelter Island School District for a token $1 for land just up from Fiske Field off School Street. The lease expired at one point but the district quickly re-upped on the agreement, understanding the Town needs to show it has a right to the site in order to secure any grant money.

Thirty years later, at the May 5 Town Board work session, the Tot Lot issue was back before the members with an advocate asking for significant upgrades to the site and to take advantage of that grant money where it can.

Lisa Shaw was at Town Hall a few days before Mother’s Day to speak in favor of the upgrades. She often cares for her young granddaughter, Laila, at the Tot Lot. It’s an important community benefit, Ms. Shaw said, a place where some “of the most underserved Islanders — the little ones,” can gather and enjoy fun and exercise outdoors.

According to data from Pew Research Center, about one in five grandparents, like Ms. Shaw, care for a child on a part-time basis. The nonprofit Independent Women’s Forum has reported that one big demographic trend for American grandparents is that their numbers are increasing. This is due to people living longer, with life expectancy rising globally from 51 to 72 since 1960. The Independent Women’s Forum notes that more grandparents (usually grandmothers) helping to raise children is a sign of stability for the family, since kids “are often looking for adult role models and trusted friends outside of their parents. Grandparents are ideal candidates because they are usually still connected with mom and dad and can help build and maintain bridges between parents and children rather than destroying them.”

And the benefit goes both ways, as Pew’s research found. When people were asked to “rank what they valued most about growing older, 31% of the women and 19% of the men, ages 65–74, ranked spending time with their grandchildren first.”

The upgrades at the Tot Lot would include Americans with Disabilities compliance, such as swings and see-saws and other equipment for kids with mobility issues. Safety and cleanliness upgrades are planned, including providing shade in places. Rubberized and artificial turf surfaces are included in the plan, to replace in part, Ms. Shaw said, wood chips that aren’t as safe and are not nearly as clean. Liberty Parks & Playgrounds, a Delaware-based design firm, has presented a plan for a renewed Tot Lot that will keep most of the same features and all within the original space.

The price for the upgrades is estimated at about $425,000, according to Town Engineer Joe Finora. Those costs include the new equipment, artificial turf and rubberized surfaces, plus other costs of replacing fencing and re-doing the parking lot. Mr. Finora mentioned two funding opportunities, one from Suffolk County and one from New York State. The county’s Community Development Block Grant could bring $195,000 to the Town, and State’s Parks and Recreation also grants funding, with a deadline to apply by June 15, Mr. Finora said.

Fundraising might also be used to defray costs and, Mr. Finora added, the budget could be trimmed by looking into cutting costs on fencing and work on the parking lot.

If all goes well, the sparkling new Tot Lot could be ready before Mother’s Day 2027.