Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Playground Design topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Greenwood council previews Kompan accessible-playground design, signals move to award contract
Summary
Kompan presenter Brent McGregor showed a custom, ADA-focused playground with a 20-foot tower and large sensory dome; the council agreed on color and a turf upgrade under the zip line as an option and set a path to execute a contract with a 13–15 week production lead time.
Greenwood City Council members on the dais heard detailed renderings and accessibility plans for a new playground proposed by Kompan, a national playground manufacturer.
Brent McGregor of Kompan described a custom design that centers on a 20-foot tower and a 14.5-foot sensory dome, several ramped access points, seven climbing pathways and composite decking designed to ease transfers for children who use mobility aids. “We want to build a playground that’s accessible for everybody,” McGregor said, explaining that the design emphasizes inclusive play panels, sensory elements and transfer points for children who use walkers or wheelchairs.
McGregor told the council the main tower has a play capacity of roughly 36 children and that the connected dome could accommodate more than 60 children. He said composite decking and rope-structure roofs are durable and expected to require only routine maintenance; ropes typically need tightening about every five years.
Council members focused on surfacing and canopy choices. Staff and the presenter gave the board a cost comparison for replacing engineered wood fiber under a double zip line with artificial turf: McGregor presented a turf upgrade option that he estimated at about $33,276.65 more than the wood-fiber base. The city administrator noted a roughly $30,000 savings from a separate ball-field project that could be applied toward upgrades.
Board members discussed using a colored turf design (blue with a contrasting border) under fast-moving equipment to improve visibility and safety, and asked Kompan to adjust the site plan to reflect the chosen color and surface options. The council agreed it preferred an artificial turf surface under high-speed features and directed the presenter to revise the site plan and pricing.
On schedule, staff said a fully executed contract would allow Kompan to begin order and manufacturing; McGregor estimated 13–15 weeks for delivery of major components and about 10–15 business days for on-site construction once materials arrive. City staff told the council they would avoid having installation occur during the city’s FreedomFest and would aim to schedule construction either before or after the festival. McGregor offered that crews could work weekends for an additional, but reduced, overtime cost to tighten the installation window.
The council’s next steps are to receive an updated site plan and pricing from Kompan and, if the contract is signed by the January 27 target, track production to confirm delivery timing prior to setting installation dates.
