Brighton council weighs upgrades, safety fixes after Kysain Park survey

Brighton — City staff and council members on Monday considered results of a public survey for Kysain Park and agreed to pursue a design plan while addressing immediate safety concerns flagged by the city’s insurer.

Manager Gamolka reported the survey results and told council the top three priorities identified by respondents were “new playground equipment,” “some sort of covered pavilion or picnic area” and a walking loop. He said staff will pursue grant opportunities but needs a scoped design and cost estimates before applying.

The survey also showed low awareness and use of the park: Manager Gamolka noted that roughly 60% of respondents said they did not know Kysain Park existed and about 75% said they never or rarely visit. Based on those results and the park’s small size, council members debated whether to keep open field space for unstructured play while upgrading the playground elements.

A separate safety finding prompted immediate concern. Manager Gamolka said the city’s general liability insurance carrier inspected the park and found that playground elements sit directly on grass, which “according to safety standards” does not provide the required soft landing or “fallout” material under slides and climbing equipment. The insurer recommended installing fallout material beneath existing elements if the city does not install new equipment.

Council members discussed scope and priorities. Council member Schmeic said neighbors told him “there are a ton of kids from just that area, and they use that field,” and urged retaining open field space for informal play. Council member Gardner supported new equipment while keeping some open space and raised questions about parking and encouraging citywide use. Council member Albert and others noted the lot is roughly one acre and cautioned that higher-end playground installations can be costly.

Mayor Pro Tem Bohn stressed the liability issue and said, “I think we need to address that immediately,” referring to the insurer’s recommendation to add fallout material under the current equipment. Council members also suggested lower-cost near-term measures such as wood or engineered fiber chips under play equipment and replacing or repairing dated swings and chains.

The council agreed on next steps: staff will solicit a landscape/park designer to produce concept plans that include an accessible playground area (ADA-compliant elements aimed at younger children), options for picnic tables or a small shelter, consideration of irrigation or turf restoration for the field, and a review of fencing along the park’s rear boundary (near the railroad) for safety. Staff will return to council with design options and cost estimates to inform potential grant applications and budget planning.

Clarifying details from the discussion: staff said the park is approximately one acre; the city’s insurer specifically recommended adding appropriate fallout surfacing under current playground elements if replacements are not yet installed; the survey responses included a majority of respondents aged 25–44; and staff said some items requested in the survey (pickleball courts, splash pad) are not feasible at the site due to noise concerns, maintenance and cost.

Council direction was primarily to: 1) address existing safety/fallout surfacing immediately; 2) pursue a park design and budget estimate (including ADA-accessible playground elements, picnic seating and modest pavilion options) to support grant applications; and 3) evaluate fencing, lighting and turf improvements to make the park safer and more usable.

The item was a discussion; no formal council vote was required beyond consensus to proceed with design solicitation and immediate safety remediation.