Safety Town volunteers worked on four separate build days and used many of their own tools. The volunteer force ranged from at-large citizens within Warminster, Penn., Rotary Club members, local business employees and municipal workers.
Photos Courtesy of John S. Ives, RLA

A truly collaborative community effort created and shaped Safety Town, located in Warminster, Penn. Two years in the making, it involved joint cooperation between public agencies, service organizations and private enterprise. Located within the larger environs of a community park, Safety Town is a miniature replica of the town, complete with building facades (of local businesses), streets, parking stalls, street signs and lights and crosswalks.

Understanding the need for such a project and friends with members of the Rotary Club, John S. Ives, RLA donated his creative time providing master planning and design services.

Besides recreation, the intended purpose of the project was to provide bicycle, pedestrian and vehicular safety instruction for young children. The idea for the project began as a charity based outreach endeavor by the Warminster Rotary Club. They partnered with the Warminster Township Parks and Recreation Department to develop and refine the location as well as fundraise and coordinate the volunteer work force.

A view of Safety Town's miniature street system with crosswalks and street signs. The building facades are constructed of Trex and vary in color and design. Artistic, mini architectural details were added to create interest and individuality to each fa?????ade.

He assisted with preliminary layout and fa?????ade and sign detail treatments. The primary design goal was to create a children's environment for safe play and learning. The design concept contains features of a typical suburban town with a main street, an outer beltway, a center green, railroad tracks and miniature parking stalls for tricycles and small bicycles. Other features within the confined 4,000 square feet area include benches, picnic tables and a colorful mix of varied fa?????ade fronts and signs. The buildings were constructed with the eco-friendly plastic lumber composite Trex???(R)???AE???? for durability and to help reduce future maintenance costs.

Construction was spearheaded by the Rotary Club who started a grass roots campaign coordinating local volunteers for four community build days where citizens brought their own drills, saws and hammers to help out.

The response was overwhelming bringing about 40 people per hot summer day to assist and donate their time.