A complete overhaul of the Shangri-La playground. Renovated and relocated equipment at the Swifts Beach playground. Creation of car-top boat launches at playgrounds all across town.

Those are just some of the recommendations contained in the Playground and Open Space Assessment and Recreation plan recently delivered to town officials. The report was created by BL Companies, a Connecticut-based engineering and surveying firm, at the request of the town's Open Space Committee.

Contained in the report are individual site reviews from the town's 21 playgrounds and four open recreation spaces. The report made suggestions on what could be done at each site with Community Preservation Act funding to maximize the benefit of the location.

The state Community Preservation Act was adopted by Wareham voters in April 2002. A 3 percent surcharge is levied on residential property above the first $100,000 of assessed property. The state also partially matches the locally raised funds.

There are also general recommendations for the use and maintenance of recreation areas throughout Wareham.

The report states that partnerships between the town and neighborhood/community organizations are imperative to improving playgrounds and keeping them properly maintained. But it also suggests the town consider reinstating a Parks and Recreation Department to oversee operations such as leasing of some parks, capital improvement planning and playground management.

With Wareham's more than 54 miles of coastline, the report stressed the need to "embrace and promote" water access. Several playgrounds where this could be accomplished were mentioned including Swifts Beach playground, which received some of the harshest criticisms in the report.

Disorganized layout, equipment in poor or failing condition and signage with an "unwelcoming tone" were all listed as problems at Swifts Beach.

"Perceived security needs seem to have taken priority over the need for a welcoming environment and rendered this playground isolated and underused," reads the report.

BL Companies recommended $80,000 worth of improvements to renovate the playground.

"Swifts Beach is a spectacular destination for Wareham residents and by employing a few strategic recommendations, this playground can begin to measure up to the beach for which it is named," the report stated.

On the other side of town, the Shangri-La playground also received a bad review. It was identified as an area that has fallen into complete disrepair.

"All playground equipment is damaged, vandalized, and dangerous," read the report. "Unfortunately, all aspects of the existing site are in need of or beyond repair so major interventions are needed."

The playground was reviewed so poorly, that the alternative to the $170,000 in recommended renovations was to "remove all existing play equipment and restore to large open lawn area," at the cost of $15,000.

Despite the poor conditions, the report states the town and the Shangri-La community now have the opportunity to design and create a vibrant, new space through "community engagement and grass roots initiatives."

Other playgrounds in town have already seen the positive effect of public-private partnerships. In the last seven months community cleanups have taken place at the Lopes, Oakdale and Weweantic playgrounds. Although there is still significant work that can be done, such as renovating the dilapidated pavilion at Weweantic and reconstructing the baseball field at Lopes, community groups have shown that improvements are possible through public participation.

The report includes detailed recommendations at many other sites around town, such as adding spaces to the parking lot between 10th street and Bishop street in Onset and resurfacing the tennis and basketball courts just north of there.

There are also suggestions that the amount of benches and picnic tables be increased at playgrounds and recreation areas across the town.