Mary Moss Park concept (via Recreation Department website) (Click to expand)

The town of Princeton has revealed competing designs for a rebuild of ‘Mary Moss Playground’, a small park on John Street. Consultants hired by the town gathered community input at a public meeting earlier this year, before developing two potential concepts for the redesign. In both cases, the park would be expanded slightly, using land that the town acquired by buying and knocking down an historic home on adjoining Lytle Street. Members of the public were shown the new plans at a second public meeting at town hall on May 3, but input can still be provided by emailing the Recreation Department.

Both designs maintain the basic layout of the existing park, with play equipment on one level, and an ‘aquatic feature’ on the side nearer to Lytle Street. The aquatic feature would be some mix of sprayers and misters but probably not a wading pool like the one that historically formed part of the park.

The first plan includes games tables with umbrellas, and some moveable chairs near the play area:

‘Plan A’ for refurbishment of Mary Moss Park. (click to expand)

The second plan features an extra entrance at the corner of John Street and Lytle Street. The overall design is intended to be more ‘natural’ in appearance. The aquatic and play areas would be separated by a ‘boulder climber’ with a slide in the middle. This design would also have a traditional pavilion structure for shade.

‘Plan B’ for redesign of Mary Moss Park. (click to expand)

In both cases, a ‘book nook’ would be added, similar to the ‘Little Free Libraries’ that have been popping up at private residences in Princeton neighborhoods. Some kind of undefined cultural artifact will also be included whichever design plan is chosen, presumably to be selected by another task force.

You can read more about the design concepts at the Princeton Recreation Department website (or archived here). To give feedback on the design concepts, residents are encouraged to email the Rec Department directly at: recreation@princetonnj.gov