BURLINGTON WEATHER

How Burlington Works

A project three years in the making is set to debut this week, bringing accessibility, connection, and inclusive play to one of Burlingtonā€™s hidden gems. 

Located at 1 Edgemere Ave. at the former Cold-War-era Nike radar site, Overlook Park has long been home to the Burlington Playersā€™ Park Playhouse, basketball courts, a childrenā€™s playground, and some buildings used to store equipment for the Parks & Recreation Department. This Thursday, a completely new version of the park will be unveiled, featuring a zero-entry playground, new trails traversing the property, and easier entry to the Little Brook conservation area. 

And, the park was designed and constructed from top to bottom to be accessible for those with mobility devices such as wheelchairs, walkers, canes, and scooters (and strollers, too!). The trails are six feet wide and hard-packed, the playground equipment is suitable for wheelchairs and other mobility devices, park benches will be placed at regular intervals, and accessible parking spaces are available.

Accessible features allow for children of all abilities to play alongside each other. Photo by Nicci Kadilak

This is the first universally accessible playground in Burlington, said Assistant Parks & Recreation Director Kelly Lehman. She said Play & Park Structures helped the department design the playground, which features musical elements, a communication board, and other elements that make it possible for children to play alongside each other irrespective of disability or learning difference. The department is at the forefront of therapeutic recreation in New England, said Lehman, and this project, unique among Burlingtonā€™s nine playgrounds, represents one more step in that direction.

ā€œI love the accessibility of the playground,ā€ said Lehman. ā€œI really like that we were able to keep a lot of the natural feeling of the siteā€ by using the stones uncovered during excavation to build retaining walls and other natural barriers.

The project worked with the natural features of the area to keep the woodsy and rocky feel while creating a more accessible experience. Photo by Nicci Kadilak.

"Our entire neighborhood, the Winnmere, Glen, and Harriet Ave. area, is so excited to have a new place to get outside, play, and enjoy the outdoors," said Select Board member Sarah Cawley, who lives near the area. "With so many young families and children in the area, having modern playground equipment and walking trails right in our neighborhood is wonderful. It means families don't have to get in their cars and drive somewhere else to enjoy a great outdoor space."

The roughly $2.5 million project was made possible by funding allocated by Burlingtonā€™s Town Meeting and a $1 million grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund focusing on accessibility improvements, which was awarded in 2024. The Recreation Department planned the renovation with input from the public, distributing a survey to residents via social media and by tabling at community events.

Some amenities were placed on the chopping block to keep the project on budget, but thanks to a state earmark for work on the Town Common and some shuffling from that project to this one at Burlington's January 2026 Town meeting most of them ā€“ including benches, signage, and bike racks ā€“ were restored and will be present in the completed park.

Cawley, who has supported this project as a Select Board member, is excited to have a large, new recreation space in an area of Burlington she said sometimes feels forgotten. "I think it's important that we invest in all parts of Burlington and make sure every neighborhood has access to quality recreational spaces," she said, "where families can spend time together and neighbors can connect."

One feature that can't be overlooked: the view. During the fall and winter, the site provides miles of visibility in many directions, including toward the Boston skyline.

The Boston skyline can be seen from the summit on a clear day.

The grand opening will be on Thursday, November 12, at 11:00 AM, and Lehman hopes the park will be substantially complete by yearā€™s end. Some benches and game tables, where people can play chess or checkers while their companions play on the playground, will be placed after the grand opening celebration, and some of the trails are in the later stages of completion. A wildflower meadow is expected to bloom in the spring, and an area that can be flooded and frozen for ice skating in the winter will also be added when the park is ready to sustain it.

Lehman has helped shepherd this project from the beginning, and her excitement shows in the way she talks about it. ā€œI canā€™t wait for it to be open,ā€ she said. ā€œI hope the community loves it.ā€

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