Photo courtesy of the City of Warren Someone or someones jumped the temporary fence erected around the Lacy Multi-Sensory Playground and stepped into the uncured safety surface that had just been laid on Monday. Plans are in place, though, to complete the project on its original timeline.

The playground at Lacy Park is currently closed for the installation of a safety surface that will make the playground accessible to more kids in the community.

However, someone jumped the fence overnight and left footprints in the surface before it was able to cure.

But city officials say the project remains on schedule and a plan is in place to re-do the work that had been completed.

“Yesterday, crews began to apply the soft surface under the multi-sensory playground at Lacy,” City Manager Nancy Freenock said in an email that included city council.

“The area was cordoned off with orange fencing. Sometime overnight, persons broke through the fence and stepped on the newly laid – but uncured – surface and ruined it.”

Freenock said the city was exploring whether additional material could be obtained and whether the city’s insurance might cover the damage from what she called a “reckless action.”

But by Tuesday afternoon, plans were in place to ensure the project could move ahead without such steps being taken.

Department of Public Works Director Mike Holtz said the contractor on the project agreed to make the repairs at his cost and that the work should still be completed by the end of the week.

Initial projections for when the playground might reopen – mid-to-late October – remain the target.

Holtz said the city has decided to have either police or DPW staff work some overtime and remain on site to ensure people stay off the playground while the surface cures.

Adan Meneo with the Rotary Club, one of the playground’s prime advocates, told the Times Observer last month that the surface was supposed to cost $80,000 but rose due to supply chain issues to just over $100,000.

The funding came together quite quickly.

“Fortunately, the Warren community is amazing, and with supporters like the Betts Foundation, Community Foundation of Warren, DeFrees Family Memorial Fund, Edith L. Trees Fund, the Huya Family, Northwest Bank, Sokolski Family Foundation, URC, and Pleasant Community Church, Rotary was quickly able to raise over $60,000 in additional funds so the improvements could move forward,” Meneo said.