Plans are moving forward for an all-inclusive playground at Horse Fork Creek Park that will be accessible for both disabled and non-disabled children.
Daviess County Fiscal Court approved an agreement Thursday with the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s Department for Local Government.
A $75,000 match grant is going toward the playground.
Though the project is still pending federal review, all the pieces are falling into place after Fiscal Court had to restart the process and faced a 9-12 month delay because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“For me, it’s pretty exciting that we are at this point once again,” said Judge-Executive Al Mattingly. “Oftentimes, you see kids in wheelchairs at playgrounds, and this playground allows them to be a real kid for a little while.”
According to Assistant County Treasurer Jordan Johnson, the bid process should take about a month to complete, followed by a month-long installation process.
Mattingly said Horse Fork Creek’ entire renovation should be completed following the playground project and the installation of two full-sized bathrooms.
“After this playground is built, I think Horse Fork Creek Park will be, on a day-to-day basis, our most-used facility we have because of its location,” Mattingly said. “It’s located in an urban area [between City and County borders] with a lot of kids.”
