Tot Lot Improvement Project

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Before the South of South Street Association’s (SoSo) improvement project, the Butcher Tot Lot had few features to speak of. There was a small green space, along with a limited children’s playground. There was a broken slide and a community that needed rebuilding. The SoSo developed a committee to make a plan that would improve the park, and help cultivate a stronger park culture in the heart of Carlisle. They laid out a plan, which included[1]:

• Adding playground equipment
• Landscaping
• Increasing the number of seats and picnic benches
• Expanding and repainting the basketball court

The neighborhood association, which is in charge of maintaining the Butcher Family Tot Lot, cited three reasons why these improvements would benefit the greater Carlisle community[2]:

• Providing a space for neighborhood events, such as an annual picnic
• Increase the sense of community by allowing patrons to develop relationships
• Improve the health of residents by providing a space for fresh air, recreation, and physical activity.

On December 14, 2013, after raising $40,000 towards improvement efforts, and with many donations of work and time, the Butcher Family Tot Lot was reopened to the community. Since then, the SoSo has been working to plan a day for the community to gather and plant trees, flower beds, spread mulch, and paint the basketball pole and swing sets. This day of service will take place this spring, on April 26th, 2017.[3]

[1] “Butcher Tot Lot.” South of South Street Association, Carlisle, Pa. April 20, 2014. https://sosocarlisle.wordpress.com/butcher-tot-lot/.

[2] “Butcher Tot Lot”

[3] “Butcher Tot Lot”