"It was a blast," Brauckmann said, conceding that he took a test drive on his trusty sled. His son, Dalton, 16, let the hill nudge him down on a snowboard.
"There are some who think it's a horrible idea, a waste of money . . . but honestly, when I was out there and saw the happy faces and the laughter, and parents taking pictures, I thought, This is a great thing," said Brauckmann, a police officer in Moorestown.
Brauckmann, also the director of Parks and Recreation in the town of 15,000, said Saturday's outing was just the beginning. "I'm sure we'll get more snow in February and March."
Brauckmann got the idea for a hill after reviewing old plans of the town's seven parks. He noticed that when the 69-acre Memorial Park on Lenola Road was carved into soccer and ball fields in the 1970s, designers contemplated a hill. The park also has bocce courts, walking trails, and a playground.
Having grown up in Willingboro, where Mill Creek Park has a man-made hill that attracts sledders, joggers, and walkers, Brauckmann suggested one in Cinnaminson. Mount Laurel and Lumberton also have man-made hills.
Deputy Mayor Anthony Minniti said the Cinnaminson hill filled a recreational demand. Years ago, he said, locals would sled at Lakeview Memorial Park cemetery, but now a mausoleum blocks the bottom of the hill. A slope at Rush Elementary School also attracted sledders, until a school addition shortened the run.
Some children sneak onto the grounds of the Riverton Country Club, where snow-covered bunkers offer rolling dips, but it is private property, Minniti said.
The new hill cost the town about $50,000, Brauckmann said.
