Village to advance Harbor Island Playground replacement; trustees favor larger, ADA-accessible design

Jeff, a village staff member, told the Board of Trustees that the Harbor Island Park playground — installed in 2004 and donated by the Harbor Island Conservancy — has reached the end of its service life and requires replacement.

The presentation outlined three options under an Omnia purchasing contract: Option 1, a multi-piece pirate-ship/boat design priced at $206,915.67; Option 2, a roughly 30% larger variant priced at $260,115; and Option 3, a conventional playground piece priced at $298,687 that lacks ADA ramps. Jeff said Options 1 and 2 include ADA-accessible ramps and sensory panels designed for children with mobility or sensory needs, while Option 3 would rely on steps and rock-climbing access.

The board discussed shade, accessibility and grant prospects. A trustee noted Option 3 offered more shade but is not ADA-compliant; Jeff said ramps and accessible components were a priority and that Options 1 or 2 ‘‘give us the most bang for our buck right off the bat.’’ Trustees observed that installing a first phase now could make it easier to secure additional grant funding later.

The chair and trustees agreed to add the playground replacement to the regular legislative meeting to allow for potential action on funding and procurement. Jeff said, depending on the timeline of the legislative meeting, installation could be completed before April.

Next steps: the playground replacement will appear on the legislative meeting agenda for consideration; trustees discussed pursuing grants and phasing work in subsequent years.