Since 2002, the Town of 
            Babylon
             has embarked on an unprecedented investment in its parks system, creating vibrant and innovative public spaces for children and families.  The Town also considers park improvements as economic development investments.  People want to live in communities with beautiful parks and great public spaces.  Creating parks that enhance the quality of life of the residents in the community will help sustain and lift property values into the future.  
            
 

            

            

            
 
            

            
The Town of 
            Babylon
             was the first municipality on
            Long Island
            to invest in state-of-the-art turf playing fields.  The Town also completed a visioning process and the first phase of redevelopment for
            
            Oak
            Beach
            Park
            
            .  The 
            
Phelps Lane

             pool complex was redeveloped with a new community center, giant slides and a spray park receiving an award last year as the best “kiddie park” on
            Long Island
            .  The Town also completed a waterfront revitalization project at
            
            Venetian
            Shores
            Beach
            
            on the
            Great South Bay
            , building a new beach pavilion and innovative spray park that has turned a little used facility into a major attraction for the community.  A new waterfront revitalization project is underway at Tanner Park in Copiague, where a 12’ wide promenade across 700 feet of shoreline has already been installed, with a new beach pavilion and spray park scheduled to open this Summer.  Two new youth centers have also been built in
            West Babylon
            and
            North Babylon
            .  The Town has also revised the process for playground development establishing a set of principles for the design and installation of each new play area in its 37 parks.  Those principles, which must be addressed in the design process, are as follows:
            
 
            

            
1) Providing Handicapped Accessibility   
            
 

            

            
2) Encouraging Fitness
            
 

            

            
3) Sparking Creativity or imagination
            
 

            

            
4) Providing play areas for both toddlers and older kids
            
 

            

            
5) Installing new rubber surfacing that is safer and easier to maintain
            
 

            

            
6) Incorporating landscape design elements.