Our City Council Address

May 29, 2012

Mr. Mayor and City Council Members,

Almost two years ago, a group of concerned citizens started out with the noble intention of creating a new downtown park that would be safe, easy to maintain, and fun for all of our children including those with disabilities. This group, Play By The Bay, has spent countless hours and considerable money researching our goal and navigating through the political process.  Recent inspections by Fairhope’s  Building Official, Barry Fulford , revealed that 75% of  the current downtown park is rotted, splintered, and/ or warped. Most wooden playground structures need to be replaced after 10-12 years of use. In fact, many cities have removed their wooden playgrounds due to liability issues associated with excessive deterioration.

On March 14, Play By the Bay was endorsed by this city council to continue our efforts.  Play By the Bay invited the community to a public meeting which took place on April 30^th.  Soon after this meeting our efforts came to a halt when we met resistance from a small group of original park organizers.

On May 18 the playground was discussed at an informal meeting chaired by Chairman Lonnie Mixon. Play by the Bay, Ken Eslava, and a small group of original park members attended.  Mr. Mixon invited two of the original park members to speak tonight and share their proposal for the Fairhoper’s Park.  We were discouraged by this pronouncement, since Play by the Bay had been through the process of endorsement and done our due diligence.  

We have to date done preliminary planning which includes a multi-tiered, multi dimensional play structure, a splash pad, a toddler play section and a stage.  Plans also involved Fairhope’s local food production initiative to create a gardening section.  In addition we contacted several local architects and artists to discuss incorporating art elements from the existing structure. 

Play by the Bay still feels strongly about the condition and accessibility of the Fairhoper’s Park, but we are not in this to compete with other groups who don’t share our same concerns. Therefore it is with much regret, Play by the Bay is respectfully suspending its offer to plan, fundraise and build a new Fairhoper’s Park. 

We would like to thank everyone who has helped us along the way.Thank you to all who have shared their time and come to this with selfless motives.  We look forward to the day when the downtown park once again safely serves our community needs.

Attachments

1. Building inspector report
2. newspaper articles from other cities who replaced Leathers structures
3. Letter from Justin Vance a playground inspector

Play By The Bay Board Members

Katie Evans

Dina Floyd

Carissa Cumbie

Maura Coley

Rivers Puckett

Karen Mullins

City Council Meeting May 29th

    

FAIRHOPE, Alabama -- The City Council wants two groups with differing visions for a community park to learn to play together.
At issue is the future of Fairhopers Community Park, where the wooden playground was built by a grassroots coalition of volunteers in the mid-1990s. The playground and park also sport original artwork and is popular with parents of small children.
Today the wood is rotted, splintered and warped, to the point that a Fairhope inspector recently identified sections that were not safe. Immediate repairs were made, according to Mayor Tim Kant, but city leaders agree that the park needs to be upgraded and made accessible to handicapped children.
But on Tuesday, the City Council was faced with two groups with seemingly different visions for the park, and the ensuing squabble included some name-calling. At one point, Councilman Mike Ford became so frustrated that he called one of the  groups "butt-headed."
Play by the Bay was Ford’s target, although he apologized in advance for his choice of words. That group, headed by Katie Evans, has been working on a plan that involves replacing the wooden playground with one made out of a widely used composite material that resembles wood.
On the other side was Leanne Pearson, who was involved in the original construction of the playground and was representing a group of park founders with a different idea. She said they have an original consultant working with them on how best to preserve at least some of the wooden structures.
Evans said the structures remain unsafe. She said her group understood that it had the council’s blessing to plan and organize the rebuilding project but that Pearson’s group had sent emails and planned meetings "behind our backs."
Evans repeatedly threatened that Play by the Bay was withdrawing its support because Pearson’s group was told by Council President Lonnie Mixon that it could also make a proposal.
"We are a small group of moms," Evans said. "We're not interested in 'our group vs. your group,' Bloods vs. Crips type of situation."
She said the other group was not "honest and above-board." She also said, "Apparently we are seeing the dark side of the political season," referring to upcoming municipal elections.
Some council members appeared baffled by the dispute, asking why the two sides couldn't get together and work out a common plan for the park.
"I could be mistaken, but it looks like y'all are packing up your trunk and leaving just because someone disagrees with you," Ford told Evans.
Mixon said he saw nothing wrong with letting another group of park supporters have their say, and that listening to all sides was part of his job as an elected official.
Speaking second, Pearson said she was "rattled" by Evans' comments. "We are stewards," she said.
Pearson said, "I've never done anything behind anybody's back."
Both sides seemed to agree that handicapped accessibility was important, and both wanted to preserve the artwork in some way.
"We will get the park up to snuff. We will raise some money. We can do it together," Pearson said.
Mixon, saying it was clear the problem would not be resolved Tuesday, suggested that a committee of city officials, some council members and representatives of both groups should sit down to resolve the differences. Evans again said Play by the Bay would withdraw, but then appeared to change her mind and agreed to be part of the committee. 

    

Park Update

More Repairs Made to Fairhopers Community Park Posted: 16 May 2012 01:45 PM PDT Fairhope, Alabama MAY HAVE TO BE CLOSED Mayor Kant said additional repairs have been made to the downtown community park playground on Church St. after the city's building inspector had declared parts of it unsafe last week; but Kant said he still has not figured out what to do about splinters from the rough, weather-worn wood found there. The park is about 15 years old. Kant: "It is safe to be there now ... (but) if we start getting complaints on splinters ... claims on splinters ... we'll probably have to close the park." According to Council President Mixon,  2 private, non profit groups, one of them called Play by the Bay, are currently raising funds to replace the park with safer materials -- and a more handicapped-friendly design.

        We are so very excited about our park progress. 


     We held our public meeting and heard some of the same issues that we have heard many times. Everything from splinters, to opened gates, and loosing sight of kids.
     We are writing a budget letter to the city council. The last two years $55,000 has been asked, but it was not passed. So fingers crossed !  
 We are also in the process of looking for grants.                                                                    


        Thank you so much to everyone for their support

public meeting scheduled

Public   Meeting   Notice


PUBLIC FORUM ON
FAIRHOPER’S COMMUNITY PARK


Date & Time:    Monday, April 30, 2012 at 5:30 pm.


Place:    Delchamps Room
    161 North Section Street


Subject:    Possible Upgrades



Notice must be stamped, dated and initialed before posted on bulletin board.

Dear Fairhope,

My name is Katie Evans and I am a member of a group of local Fairhope residents who, while we love our downtown park, have become increasingly concerned about the condition and accessibility of the facility.  To us, the park is the heart of Fairhope and such a wonderful addition to the downtown Fairhope experience, and we understand that you all played an integral role in making it a reality.  As such, I am reaching out to each of you to ask for your help and support as we seek to meet the current needs of our community, especially the physically disabled, who deserve the opportunity to have a facility that they can fully utilize.  While the changes we propose will bring the park up to the new handicapped accessible law requirements that are set to be enforced starting April 2012, the changes will also decrease the City of Fairhope’s ever increasing budget for maintenance and repairs that an all wood structure requires.  While we feel these changes are important and will be beneficial to the community as a whole, we also want to preserve some of the wonderful aspects of the current park.  Together with Miracle Playgrounds, a company responsible for designing and building modern, accessible playgrounds around the country, including the playscape at Thomas Hospital Rehab Center, we have come up with a plan that we think fits the community needs in terms of design and function, as well as meet the current handicap accessible requirements.  We hope to have more information available soon, and we look forward to hopefully having the support from those of you who made the park a reality to begin with.



Please join us to support our efforts as we go before the Fairhope City Council on March 15 at 5pm and bring your children!

Sincerely,

Play By The Bay, Inc.

Katie Evans
Carissa Cumbie
Dina Floyd