The town has established a committee to come up with a master plan for playgrounds on town and school property in Cape Elizabeth.

The Town Council established the nine-member committee at its meeting Nov. 8.

Several factors contributed to the formation of the committee:

After a normal safety inspection, a playground consultant recommended removing many pieces of playground equipment on the school grounds;

A group of parents at Pond Cove School have set aside funds for playground improvements and have begun discussions toward having a fund-raising effort;

Concerns have been voiced about the proximity of the Middle School playground to the adjacent baseball field;

And, the playground near the picnic shelter at Fort Williams is now more than 15 years old, and while it is well maintained, it does not meet the expectations of young families. The Town was recently approached by two individuals planning to do fund-raising for a new playground.

It was the consensus of school and town officials to try to combine the interests of all parties interested in playgrounds and to recommend a master plan process to the Town Council.

"The needs of the town go hand-in-hand with the needs of the schools," said School Superintendent Tom Forcella at the Nov. 9 meeting of the School Board. Rather than compete with one another, it is a better idea to get together and look at priorities regarding playgrounds, he said.

The committee will consist of two representatives of the Town Council; two of the School Board; two each of the Pond Cove Parents Association and the Middle School Parents Association; and, one of the Fort Williams Advisory Commission.

The committee is charged to recommend a consultant to help prepare the master plan.  The report is due to the Town Council by Dec. 31, 2000.