Both the North Royalton Board of Education and the North Royalton City Council recently passed legislation that would approve of the construction of Safety Town at the location of the North Royalton Elementary School at 16400 State Road. The proposed site was previously at the old Royal View Elementary School.
According to North Royalton Finance Director, Jenny Esaray, the City has received about $30,844 in donations as of this writing. The terms of the agreement between the city and the district shall be for ten years. The District’s contribution includes the provision of the site; coordinate donated construction services; contract for and construct improvements paid for through District and City funds; and contribute a minimum of $25,000 toward the cost of improvements. The City will provide design services and an amount not to exceed $25,000 prior to the start of construction and coordinate any non-construction contributions. The District will then be responsible for striping, repair and replacement of asphalt and concrete, as well as fencing. The City shall be responsible for the maintenance of the structures.
According to Fire Chief, Bob Chegan, “Safety Town, a miniature village complete with buildings and traffic signals, teaches kindergartners essential bicycle and traffic safety skills through programs led by North Royalton safety forces. Registration is handled through the school district.” City and School officials have been discussing the future of the new and improved Safety Town program for North Royalton children for several years. It’s an offering that has been made available to children for many years through the work of the North Royalton School District and the North Royalton Police and Fire Departments.
The Safety Town program may have been started as far back as the 1970s and has been a staple to many children. It was originally housed at Valley Vista Elementary School. The program has been averaging about 175-200 kids each year for the last ten years.. In 2015, Safety Town was moved to the North Royalton Middle School and remained there until 2020. It was then moved to Royal View and then to the new elementary building.
“Our goal is to build a new Safety Town facility to support the educational component of our yearly program,” said North Royalton Fire Chief, Bob Chegan. “This is a huge undertaking.”
Chegan said that the North Royalton Safety Town that has been in place has never had actual buildings, just paintings on asphalt. Other communities, such as Brecksville and Independence, have constructed actual buildings. Chegan met with Broadview Heights officials to get some ideas that could be incorporated into the new North Royalton Safety Town.
According to Chegan, Phase 1 of the project will provide the foundation, including concrete, landscaping and electrical. Phase 2 will include the construction of the buildings. He estimates the cost to between $50,000 and $75,000. Donations may be made through the North Royalton Finance Department and should be made out to North Royalton Safety Town. Phase 1 has officially started, according to Mayor Larry Antoskiewicz. The concrete base for the project was completed in October.
As with any type of project, funding is paramount to bring the plan into fruition.“With the help of past fund-raising efforts (especially with the help from the NR Browns Backers and Niko’s, which raised more than $13,000 in the past few years), we established a good start to the project,” said Chegan. He notes that monetary and service-related donations are still being sought. He is also looking for building sponsors, which will show a picture of the business or logo on the side of each structure; concrete, electrical, fencing and landscaping supplies or services. “Many people and businesses have already sponsored these structures, but we have a few more remaining,” said Chegan. “Our continued goal is for kids to be able to learn valuable life lessons through firsthand experience, and this facility will help augment that.” Anyone interested in helping should contact Chegan at rchegan@northroyalton.org or 440-759-8421.
“I want to thank Fire Chief Bob Chegan for taking this project on.” said Antoskiewicz. “I know it was a lot of work. We changed locations a few times, but I feel we finally have the right, permanent home for this. I also appreciate the support and cooperation from Superintendent Mike Laub and the North Royalton City School District. This is just another great example of the collaborative, supportive relationship we have in the school district.”
“This is a perfect example of how our community comes together for our children,” said Superintendent Laub. “Having Safety Town at North Royalton Elementary School creates a natural connection between our youngest learners and our safety forces. We’re proud to provide a permanent home for this valuable program that will benefit generations of North Royalton families.”
By GLORIA PLEVA KACIK
Contributing Writer