The John Mark Stallings Special Needs Accessible Playground of Morgan County, which is opened to all children, will begin construction on the first increment of the play area this week, a $60,000 effort, to be completed before May 1, SNAP coordinator Bob Francis said.

The first increment of the playground, which will have spring riders, an omnispin spinner, and sway fun wheelchair glider, is one step closer to the completion of the third and final phase facility’s construction.

The third phase, to include the first small playground increment and a second larger playground addition, will cost a total estimated $263,515 bringing the approximate total of the completed facility to a $800,000 value for Hartselle City and surrounding areas to use, Francis said.

The SNAP project was introduced to the public in 2006. Already, the facility has a swing area, completed in 2008, with wheelchair accessible swings, and a splash pad area completed in 2010, which is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day each year. An accessible pavilion was complete in June 2011. There is no fee for use of the playground or splash pad.

The entryway for the facility is currently finishing construction. The front of the entryway will have a 48-inch backlit LED SNAP logo sign, and there will be a memorial plaque under the archway in honor of John Mark Stallings. On top of the entryway building will be a cupola with two back lit clock faces with auto time resets and a weathervane on top.

Parts of the clock tower have been installed, however one side of the clock is still waiting for the manufacture to send a replacement for a cracked hand, Francis said.

The completed facility will incorporate “12 types of play for balanced child development” including, auditory/sound, balancing, brachiating, chinning, climbing, gathering/social, imaginative, manipulative, rocking, sliding, spinning and swinging.

To be a part of phase three of SNAP contact Sparkman Civic Center at (256) 773-2581. Send donations to SNAP, P.O. Box 512, Hartselle, Ala., 35640. Find out more about the playground at www.snapplayground.org.