Brookhaven officials are anticipating smooth operations andcontinued fun times for families following city assumption ofmaintenance and oversight of the Kids’ Kingdom communityplayground.

Aldermen last week accepted the deed to the playground offIndustrial Park Road. Scheduling of the pavilion use and some otheractivities, though, will not be handled until a formal resolutionthat is expected to be approved at the board’s Jan. 6 meeting.

“The Kids’ Kingdom for all intents and purposes is now cityproperty,” said City Attorney Joe Fernald.

Terry Reid, Brookhaven Recreation Department director, said hisemployees have assumed grass-cutting, picnic table repairs andother general maintenance at the popular facility. He said a grandopening would be held once the weather improves.

“The playground’s always being used,” Reid said. “It’s busy overthere.”

Reid said city handling of pavilion scheduling will eliminate anextra call for potential users. Prior to city control, he said hisoffice would have to refer calls to Kids’ Kingdom officials forscheduling.

“It was being used probably four days a week for birthdayparties,” Reid said.

In planning the park, which opened in 2002, Kids’ Kingdomdevelopers asked the city to handle maintenance functions once itwas completed. Aldermen were receptive to the idea, but expressedconcerns about liabilty and flooding.

Following extensive consultation with Corps of Engineers andDepartment of Environmental Quality officials, Fernald said therewas no legal impediment to the city assuming playground oversight.The attorney also mentioned the role the Brookhaven ParksCommission played in the board decision.

“The aldermen gave great weight to the fact the recreation boardvoted to accept it,” Fernald said.

Reid downplayed flooding concerns about the park, which islocated in a flood plain. The park has flooded at least five timessince it opened.

“To me, it hasn’t been as bad as people made it out to be,” Reidsaid.

Reid said there he has seen no damage to park equipment or thelandscape.

The playground area is slightly elevated, so equipment hasn’tflooded. Also, the pavilion floor is concrete, thus minimizingpotential damage.

However, Reid said the flood plain issue and a stalled sewerproject in the area will prevent the park from being able to have arestroom.

“It’s one of those places where there’s never going to be arestroom,” said Reid, who pointed out that two other city parks donot have restrooms. “It’s a convenience, but it’s not a necessityfor a park.”

Another benefit of city ownership will be police protection.Reid said the police would be able to provide more frequent patrolsthan what was available by the sheriff’s department.

Fernald said the city may need to do some clearing to reducedark areas around the park.

“At some times, it’s extremely secluded,” Fernald said

Overall, the city now has 10 acres on the park site. Kids’Kingdom is occupying only about half an acre.

“You’re still sitting there with a pretty nice piece ofproperty,” said Reid, adding that the park was being added to cityinsurance coverage at no additional cost.

Reid said there are no immediate plans for using the rest of theland, although he did mention the possibility of developing awalking trail on part of it.