Parks board recommends pergola-style wheelchair swing at North End Park, rescinds AeroGlider recommendation

At a Big Rapids parks and recreation meeting, board members voted to recommend that the City Commission install a pergola-style wheelchair swing at North End Park with a physical boundary, on-site cameras and a pour-in-place surface.

Board members and community advocates said the pergola option was chosen because it accommodates adult users in wheelchairs and is insurable with reasonable site safeguards. The board also voted to rescind an earlier recommendation for an AeroGlider and to pursue an alternative for a second swing at Hemlock Park.

Josh, a city staff presenter, described safety and liability practices used by another Michigan city that installed a similar adult-accessible swing. He said the city that installed a comparable unit fenced the device with a roughly 36-inch-high fence, used cameras and posted signage; his remarks noted the town had “no incidents” after taking those precautions. Josh also said insurance reviewers had no issue with the installation when those deterrents were in place and recommended that the vendor or manufacturer perform or supervise installation so liability would remain with the vendor.

Members discussed siting and access. Several participants said North End Park offers relative seclusion from busy playground areas yet remains close enough to water access and parking to be convenient. Board members flagged additional site costs the city should expect: a pad and an accessible walkway, and possibly hedging or low fencing to keep small children from wandering into the swing area. Board members discussed a pour-in-place safety surfacing option as preferable to a plain concrete pad.

Discussion of the Hemlock Park location focused on which product best serves family caregivers and adult wheelchair users. Doug Frazier, whose family has experience caring for a wheelchair user, told the board he initially favored another model but “after thinking about more about that, I’m leaning towards the WeGo just on structure wise, safety, and interaction between the person that’s in the wheelchair and the family member or the caregiver.” Board members also raised the Freedom Glider and WeGo as possible replacements for the AeroGlider because of age and adult-use considerations.

Cost estimates discussed at the meeting included about $10,000 for the pergola-style unit and about $48,000 for some of the larger glider-style products; board members noted that added costs for fencing, camera equipment, and surface treatments would raise those totals. Josh said the pergola manufacturer’s memorandum flagged that the city would avoid direct liability if the vendor secured and handled installation; the board discussed contracting preferences to preserve vendor liability.

Votes at a glance - Approve minutes as written — motion to approve minutes recorded; outcome recorded as approved in the meeting (vote tally not specified in the transcript). - Recommend pergola-style wheelchair swing at North End Park (with barrier, cameras, pour-in-place surface) — motion made and passed; vote tally not specified. - Rescind recommendation for the AeroGlider — motion made and passed; vote tally not specified. - Recommend a second, alternative accessible swing at Hemlock Park (type to be determined) — motion made and passed; vote tally not specified.

What’s next: Board members asked staff to schedule a site walk with the Frasier family and other stakeholders to pick an exact North End location and to return with refined location costs and procurement options before forwarding a formal recommendation to the City Commission.