Funding appropriations for the Kennedy Schoolyard Renovation Project were approved at the latest meeting of the Somerville City Council.

By The Times Staff

The Somerville City Council meeting on February 26 included funding appropriations for the Kennedy Schoolyard Renovation Project.

Mayor Wilson’s request for the appropriation of $1,000,000 from the Community Preservation Act Open Space Reserve for construction of improvements to the Kennedy schoolyard was voted on and approved by attending members of the City Council.

An additional request by the mayor for an appropriation and authorization to borrow $2,000,000 in a bond for financing a portion of the Kennedy Schoolyard Renovation Project,

as recommended by the Community Preservation Committee, was likewise approved.

Finance Committee Chairman Councilor Ben Wheeler spoke of the appropriations as part of his report on the latest Committee meeting said, “We recommended approval for two distinct items for the Kennedy schoolyard, a $1 million appropriation from the Community Preservation Committee and a $2 million bond. The cost covers an expanded school yard that will have numerous elements of accessibility for the full student body of all the academic programs at the Kennedy, as well as an extensive stormwater parking lot and surface permeability work that will count towards the city’s overall burden of stormwater mitigation.”

Wheeler elaborated further on the funding, saying, “The intention is to solicit contractor bids for this project soon, and to complete a first phase of this work during the summer recess this year. I’m excited. And regarding public safety, we considered a series of items that involve grants. After consultation with city staff and discussion on the committee, the committee was satisfied that these grants are in line with the city’s values and the law.”

Also taking place that same evening, the Kennedy School Playground Renovations Community Meeting was held virtually, covering the project overview and key goals, proposed design and phasing activities, followed by questions and discussions involving anyone who joined the meeting.

Attending the presentation were City of Somerville Department of Public Space and Urban Forestry Senior Planner Jon Bronenkant, Ward 5 City Councilor Naima Sait, and Kennedy School Principal Steve Marshall. Representing CBA Landscaping Architects LLC were Principal-in-Charge D.J. Chagnon, Landscape Architect Preston Hollman, and Landscape Designer Chaitrali Doke.

In the presentation, the project was explicitly framed as Somerville’s first inclusive playground, going beyond ADA and universal design to full inclusive design. All ages, all abilities, all along social/communication spectrums. Shared play, not segregated “special” equipment.

John F. Kennedy School overall site plan. ~ Graphic courtesy of CBA Landscape Architects LLC

Phasing for play

Phase 1 (Summer 2026):

Keeping most existing play space open, plus the addition of a new full basketball court in its permanent location, with temporary asphalt and line striping.

Phase 2 (Summer 2027):

Building of the fully inclusive playground with all permanent surfacing, equipment, fencing, and seating.

Final layout plans include:

A court placed at the bottom-right corner of the site to:

• Improve snow removal operations.
• Integrate drainage/rain garden more effectively.

Three hoops total:

• Two regulation-height full‑court hoops.
• A third lower‑height side hoop for younger players (exact height TBD).

Adjustable hoops:

Strong interest from the community was noted. The team was aid to be actively investigating durable, adjustable, or semi‑adjustable options.

Treatment of the wall

Decision to fully “activate” the wall:

• Some sections have built‑up topography (hills) against them.
• A climbing wall with handholds is added where it won’t enable fence access.
• Space preserved for wall-ball, which children strongly requested.

Play equipment mix

Intentional mix of play styles:

• Ramped post‑and‑platform structures for fully accessible circulation.
• Net/rope climbers with small openings (easier to use, more inclusive).
• Ground-level/obstacle-course elements, monkey-bar/parkour type play.
• A ropes course, opened on one side so kids using mobility devices can enter the center and socialize with peers using the ropes.
• Consideration of possibly linking two main structures into one larger, ramp-connected system to maximize fully accessible routes.

Swings and motion

A decision was made not to install traditional swings (belt, adaptive, dish/friendship swings) due to:

• Large safety clearances.
• Space constraints in a schoolyard.
• Supervision and safety complexity.

Motion and vestibular play will be provided instead by:

• A wheelchair-accessible glider rocker (by transfer), sized for many children.

Group spinner.

• A large inclusive seesaw with strong support for backs, feet, and hands.
• Hangout hammocks/wobble seating elements integrated into social spaces.

A 4‑foot-high embankment mound with:

Ramped access along a gentle path with play events along the route.

• At least one tall slide (8 feet platform); another around 7 feet.
• “Dignity exits” at slide bottoms so kids using mobility devices have a waiting area while devices return to them.
• Rubber surfacing will be patterned with:
• Clear visual paths vs. active play zones vs. slopes.
• High‑contrast color bands at edges, tops of slopes, and key transfer points.

Sensory and social inclusion

Planned inclusive/sensory elements include:

• Accessible carousel/spinner.
• Sensory play tunnel wide enough for mobility devices, with play panels along it.
• Hillside climbing elements (rubber steps, handholds in surfacing).
• Perimeter sensory and activity panels.
• A small play hut / quiet self‑regulation nook:
• Tucked away from the most active zones.
• Still designed with enough visibility for recess monitors.
• Communication board and other visual supports (directionally committed; exact design TBD).

Seating, shade, and gathering

Modular seating blocks (“Lego” style, fixed in place):

• Used throughout, with clusters under a grove of trees and around the rain garden.
• Configurable for back support, armrests, and companion seating for wheelchairs.
• Some walls at the rain garden built at seating height for informal gathering.

Shade structures:

• One entry shade structure attached/adjacent to the school:
• Aligns posts to existing columns.
• Clearly marks the main entrance.
• Shelters bike racks and fixed benches.

One larger plaza shade canopy:

• Oriented for school gatherings, PTA events, and partial shade for 8th-grade graduation.
• Designed to hold movable picnic tables but also allow clearing the space for events.

Stormwater and play environment

Use of light-colored coatings (e.g., white or light-toned under playground graphics) to:

• Reduce heat island effects on hard courts and paved areas.
• Sloped surfaces and planting designed to:
• Protect the play area from icing (e.g., not draining roofs onto paths).
• Direct water into rain gardens and subsurface systems instead.

Ongoing inclusive design process

Decision to continue working with:

• CPAC
• Somerville Commission for Persons with Disabilities
• School staff and relevant city departments

Goal: refine final choices of equipment, surfacing patterns, communication supports, and detailed layouts so the playground functions equitably for all users once built.

Questions and discussion by those in attendance followed the presentation.

The full meeting can be viewed on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOGVLdwdctU&t=1196s.