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Lions Club offers $50,000 pledge and a sensory playground design; trustees urge coordination with drainage project
Summary
Members of the Rhinebeck Lions Club presented a multi-year design and pledged $50,000 toward equipment and installation for an inclusive 'kitty' mini-park. Trustees and autism-support committee members agreed to form a working group and to coordinate installation timing with a village drainage project; rough total cost estimates range from about $65,000 to more than $100,000 depending on surfacing and fencing choices.
Members of the Rhinebeck Lions Club laid out a plan March 10 to replace the playground equipment in the mini-park’s "kitty" area with an inclusive, sensory-focused set of fixtures aimed primarily at children ages 2–5.
Scott Davis, a Lions Club member who said he led the design effort, said the project grew from a community design competition that involved local students and multiple manufacturers. The proposed equipment set emphasizes sensory elements — sight, sound, tactile elements and rest/recalibration areas — and includes 11 primary fixtures. Davis said the club formed a foundation to facilitate fundraising and that the Lions have pledged roughly $50,000 toward purchase and installation of equipment.
At the meeting the Lions presented three surfacing options: mulch (lowest cost, ADA-compliant for fall protection but not mobility-device accessible), poured rubber (highest cost but wheelchair accessible), and a hybrid approach combining mulch with rubberized paths and access points. Presenters and trustees discussed vendor quotes and a vendor estimate that installation can be a substantial share of total cost (the presenter noted a figure of roughly 38% of equipment cost for install from one vendor). Informal ballpark numbers presented at the meeting: equipment-plus-install estimates around $62,000 (not including surfacing or fencing); adding surfacing, pathways and fencing could raise the total into a $65,000–$75,000 range; fully rubberized pathways and additional site prep could push the project cost nearer $100,000–$120,000.
Trustees and Lions representatives repeatedly stressed that timing and drainage work on the site are a critical constraint: the village’s drainage project team provided a draft schedule showing drainage work completion could extend into late 2026, meaning playground installation should be coordinated to avoid rework. Trustees recommended completing drainage and ground-level prep first where possible and exploring options for the highway/public-works crew to assist with base prep to save costs.
Art Pritchard, who identified himself with the village autism support committee, urged that the autism support group be included in final design and grant-writing. "We want to be a part of it. We think we've been excluded for a while," Pritchard said, and offered volunteers and grant-writing support.
Trustees asked the presenter to produce a firm, three-quote bid package and to work with the parks committee, autism support committee and village engineer on an integrated plan. Several trustees urged forming a working group to finalize a footprint, drainage compatibility and a grant strategy before asking the board to accept donated equipment or approve installation. The Lions said they would finalize quotes and follow up with the board and the parks committee.
What to watch: trustees and the parks committee will coordinate the Lions’ equipment donation with drainage project timing, final engineering for site base/surfacing, and any required bidding process for materials or installation that would involve the village.
