Welcome back to beautiful Harbor Springs. We wanted to provide an update that includes some good news.

At a meeting held on April 4th, Mayor Bugera, City Manager Victor Sinadinoski, Parks and Recreation Director Rachel Roon, Chief of Police Kyle Knight, and Advocacy Group members Patrick and Maureen Kenney and Tim and Shann Patton (via phone), agreed unanimously to return the old playground equipment back to its original location in the sand with the donation of accessible turf and thus preserve the open green space in lower Zorn. 

Since the meeting, an ADA specialist provided written confirmation that ADA-accessible surfacing is not required in this situation. Therefore, the City can reinstall the original playground equipment in the former sand location from which it was removed three years ago. 

Advocacy Group member Tim Patton sent the following email to the Parks Director Rachel and Mayor Matt this morning.

____________________________________________________________________

From: Tim Patton tpattontrinity@gmail.com
Sent: Tuesday, June 27, 2023 11:25 AM
To: Roon Rachel parksdirector@cityofharborsprings.com; mjbugera@gmail.com; Patrick Kenney kenneyp@premierplanning.net
Subject: Re: City Beach Playground

Dear Rachel,

As a Zorn Park Advocate and having participated by phone in the April 4th meeting, I was excited to learn that we are nearing a final proposal for the playground. Still, I watched last Tuesday's Parks and Recreation meeting and wanted to clarify a few issues discussed.

As you recall, during the morning meeting on April 4th, we agreed to place the original equipment back on the beach with the understanding that the Advocacy Group would donate to an ADA-accessible surface. Victor confirmed the agreement to the city council in his Manager's report, "We are preparing plans to reinstall the playground equipment in its original location (on the sand) with donated money to make the surface accessible." 

Per Matt's request, we reported this outcome to the group with a welcomed response. The group's priorities are to enhance the recreational resources of Harbor Springs for families in the community and seasonal visitors and, most critically, to ensure the preservation of the limited, unobstructed waterfront and open green space at Zorn Park. 

Thus, I was surprised to learn that our joint agreement changed to include new equipment and a raised cement barrier. Nonetheless, we remain committed to moving forward.

We do, however, share concerns voiced in the Park and Rec meeting, such as tripping or falling on the cement wall, Dana's research on microplastics and the related environmental and health risks, and Dick Swarthout's issue questioning how to sweep the sand off the surface given the raised barrier and, more alarming, his insistence that the sand, combined with rain, will turn to concrete. 

Given the concerns, a better alternative solution may exist. You said you plan to use the old equipment at Kosequat Park or Kiwanis Park to provide those parks with expanded play options. Therefore, the City could place the old equipment back in the sand, and the Advocacy Group would be willing to fund a similar financial commitment for new equipment and surfacing at Kosequat Park or Kiwanis Park or a combination of both.

According to written confirmation from the ADA to the Advocacy Group, the original equipment can be reinstalled on the sand without violating ADA guidelines. There are many ways accessibility can be accomplished, including using the accessibility mats that the City already owns, per Matt. If this were to occur, the City would have a newly expanded playground at another City park and could save fundraising efforts or use grant dollars for other City projects. This approach could significantly expand the usage of available funds for the benefit of the City in total.

Ultimately, we remain committed to moving forward with a new playground on the beach or an alternative park. We have engaged with our council, Marty Werner Esq., to prepare a donor agreement document to formalize the understanding, including the preservation of lower Zorn as our priority. Marty will follow up to initiate the process.  

Sincerely, 
Tim Patton

____________________________________________________________________

The city responded in short order, saying that they wish to move forward with plans for new equipment, surfacing, and a retaining wall at the beach. They did not respond to the idea of putting the original equipment back, as allowed by ADA, with the offer of a similar donated amount designated for the improvement of another park. 

We thought this would have been an ideal outcome; a return of the old playground to the original site and a corresponding donation to provide a new state-of-the-art play experience at another park for families to enjoy, saving future fundraising efforts and improving our overall park system. Additionally, community leaders, including the mayor, have expressed a preference for no playground at Zorn and hence, would likely have supported this proposed outcome. 

An attorney representing the interests of the Advocacy Group will now work out the details for a donor agreement document to proceed with the efforts for the new plan on the beach.