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Morningside Park

At a Glance
New
Ward 4
Infrastructure

Latest

I’m adding this project to the tracker as new today. I encourage residents to take the Morningside Park online survey and tell the City what you’d like to see in the park.

I attended the community meeting on June 30. One issue that came up was pets — dog walking — and that if playground equipment is installed, dog walking won’t be allowed. This could possibly be solved with fencing, but I want to get the topic out in the open, so residents can talk about it.

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The City of Dover is planning a complete rehabilitation of Morningside Park, which will bring brand-new, modern playground equipment and improved amenities to the 2.9-acre space near Garrison Elementary School. Public input is currently guiding the design process, with construction planned for 2027 and a full reopening targeted for that fall.

Why it Matters

Upgrading Morningside Park restores a vital neighborhood gathering space so local families and children can play safely close to home. Without this project, the park remains an underutilized open lawn missing the playground features that families relied on for years. Investing in these park improvements delivers several clear benefits to the community:

  • Safe, Modern Play Structures: Replaces the outdated equipment removed in 2024 with brand-new, safety-compliant playground features.
  • ADA Accessibility: Upgrades pathways and play areas so children and caregivers of all physical abilities can enjoy the park together.
  • All-Ages Recreation: Redesigns the park layout to better support both organized youth sports practices and everyday informal recreation.
  • Community-Driven Results: Tailors the new amenities directly to the desires and needs expressed by nearby residents.

The Big Picture

Morningside Park has long served as a key green space for the surrounding neighborhood and nearby school community. In 2024, city inspectors determined that the existing swings and play structures had reached the end of their useful life and were no longer safe, requiring their removal. Rather than simply dropping in quick replacements, Dover is taking this opportunity to reimagine the entire 2.9-acre parcel through a deliberate, community-centered design process before breaking ground in 2027.

Take Action

Your feedback is critical in shaping what features and amenities get built at Morningside Park. Here is how you can get involved and share your ideas:

  • Take the online survey: Tell the city what equipment, amenities, and uses you want to see by filling out the Morningside Park Survey.
  • Contact project leads: Reach out directly to City Engineer Jillian Semprini at 603-516-6450 or Assistant Recreation Director Rick Conway at 603-516-6401 with specific questions or suggestions.

Go Deeper

If you want to review the initial proposals and meeting materials presented to the community, check out these resources: