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Beaufort to rebuild Pigeon Point playground with accessible design after neighborhood feedback
Summary
Cunningham Recreation presented a turnkey, inclusive-play proposal for Pigeon Point Playground; neighbors urged more outreach and muted colors to preserve the parkcharacter. Staff agreed to provide revised renderings and work with the community before finalizing contractor purchase orders.
Julie Meyer, a representative of Cunningham Recreation, told Beaufort council that a proposed turnkey replacement for Pigeon Point Playground would make the site fully accessible and replace aging wood structures with metal-play equipment and poured-in-place rubber surfacing in the 5-to-12 play area. The proposal keeps the existing playground footprint, retains some wood-chip surfacing in the 2-to-5 area with an accessible turndown ramp, and includes drainage and concrete curbing around the rubber surfacing. Meyer said the 5-to-12 unit has a ramped entry and an 8-foot critical fall height and that lead time for custom fabrication is about 12 weeks.
The proposal is ARPA-funded and priced with a 30-day hold through December; staff told council a purchase order or alternate funding must be in place before December 31 to preserve the quoted price. Julie Meyer described the design as an inclusive, "national demonstration site" with sensory elements and an accessible path to play units; she said some existing elements (wrinkle wall, music features) would be retained where feasible.
Neighbors at the public-comment period praised preservation efforts but urged changes. "This park is our neighborhood," said Kaye Merrill, who asked that color choices and large decorative toppers be muted to preserve the existing tree canopy and neighborhood character. Other residents asked that the engraved-brick walkway and the neighborhoodLittle Free Library remain intact and be protected during installation. Several speakers suggested using nature-tone palettes and keeping maintenance needs low.
Public Works and playground contractors responded that the new units are designed to last 20-plus years, that the contractor will remove and dispose of existing wood chips and replace them with engineered safety chips in the 2-to-5 area, and that concrete curbs would replace plastic play curbs around the 5-to-12 rubber surface. Staff affirmed they will not expand the playground footprint or remove trees and said equipment access will be staged to avoid damage to the brick walkway; if a fence must be temporarily removed to bring in equipment, it will be restored.
Council members pressed for clarity about itemized costs and what is included in the quoted units; Meyer explained many components are priced as complete modular units but said she could break the quote into component line items for council review. Staff also committed to sharing new color renderings with neighbors and to holding a neighborhood review if time allows before final procurement.
Next steps: staff will work with Cunningham Recreation and Public Works to produce revised color renderings and options that reflect neighborhood input, confirm procurement timing given ARPA price holds, and return to council with any requested modifications before issuing a purchase order.
