By Alexander M.E. Kellum
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
A proposal to build an amphitheater and handicap accessible playground in Perry Hall will come before the Baltimore County Council Tuesday evening and is expected to be approved, a council member said in an interview.
Under the proposal, 2.375 acres of land located at 9685 Honeygo Blvd., next to the Perry Hall library, would be used to construct Angel Park. The park will include a 200-seat amphitheater and playground.
Councilman David Marks, who proposed the resolution on Feb. 1, said that if the proposal is approved as expected, construction would cost nearly $1.5 million. He said volunteers have raised $1 million in donations while the state has provided $200,000 in funding for the project. Overseers of the project have called for a $250,000 grant from the county.
“My council colleagues will support it and I’ve heard no one opposes it,” Marks said.
According to Marks, construction will begin in March. The lot will be leased to the Perry Hall Parks and Recreation Council, which is working directly with leaders of the project. This will allow independent contractors and volunteers to take the reins of the project. The Perry Hall Parks and Recreation Council will hand Angel Park over to the county upon completion.
“It’s an all-access playground and amphitheater, so disabled children can use the playground and it will provide additional recreational amenities for Baltimore county residents,” Marks said.
The idea for the park came after the loss of Kelli and Andy Szczybor’s 15-month-old son, Ryan, who died of leukemia 17 years ago. According to Kelli Szczybor, the founder of the Angel Park project, inspiration for the park came from Annie’s Playground in Harford County.
“When he passed away, when you lose someone you love, you want to keep the memory alive,” Szczybor said. “I wanted to bring that to Perry Hall.”
Leathers and Associates, the construction firm tasked with the project, defines an inclusive playground as an area where children and families can play, without physical or social barriers.
Architects and engineers with the construction firm were given designs drawn by students of eight local schools, Szczybor said. Construction will be led by construction captains, but the building process will be done entirely by volunteers.
Handicap-accessible equipment, including specially designed zip lines, will be available. Other barriers, such as mulch, will be avoided during the design process, giving children with wheelchairs better accessibility.
The equipment will also use ramps as opposed to steps. To make the park even more unique, plans to construct the amphitheater, capable of seating over 200 people, were also introduced.
Szczybor said the project was overwhelming at first. Over the years, the project has picked up in support. The project has managed to gather all but four of the 75 pieces of equipment for the playground.
“I wanted to do this for the past few years, and I thought it was impossible, but if you keep pushing and keep asking for help, it can happen,” Szczybor said. “So many people are using all their time and talent to pull this off. Their hearts are really what’s driving everyone.”
Donations are still being accepted for the project. Memorial pickets, inscribed with the name of a loved one or family, can also be purchased. Szczybor said the pickets and memorial garden will give those who are grieving a better place to go and remember their lost loved ones.
The park will be holding a “groundbreaking ceremony” at the lot on Feb. 29, at 11 a.m. Leading members of Angel Park are actively seeking donations and volunteers. For information on how to help out, visit their website: www.angel-park.org.
“It’s been a lot of work, but it’s going to be worth it when we see the children’s faces and the families coming out,” Szczybor said.