Site of accessible playground not so accessible, some parents say
Krystal Nurse
This story has been updated with additional information on accessible on-site parking planned for the playground and comments from Carol Barrett.
When the Capital Region Community Foundation and City of Lansing announced plans for an accessible playground in Lansing, they pitched the location as an asset: situated in the center of the city, at Grand Avenue and Saginaw Street, with "universal access to the river's edge," according to a press release.
But some say the environment is more a bug than a feature.
In the weeks since the foundation released park renderings, parents have raised concerns about its location, wedged between a busy intersection and Grand River with limited parking.
"When I look at that picture, I don’t see guard rails (near the river)," said Diana Arnold. "There’s a fence, but it’s not sufficient for that situation."
More:Family feels 'seen' by accessible playground plans for Lansing
As the community foundation designed the ambitious park and playground — a $1.5 million project aimed at removing the barriers children and parents with disabilities face in other parks — they partnered with the Mid-Michigan Autism Association and Disability Network to survey 50 families on their wants and needs.
Some parents who were surveyed said the design failed to address all of their concerns.
Drownings, for instance, are a leading cause of death among children and teens with epilepsy, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Children and teens on the autism spectrum are also at higher risk of fatally drowning.
"When I took the survey, part of what they mention is ease of availability to get from parking to the playground, and having room to rest for people who don’t have energy," Arnold said.
Currently, the nearest parking is across Grand Avenue at Lansing Community College's Gannon lot, which is under construction, though the community foundation clarified 14 accessible parking spaces would be built on-site.
Arnold and her son both have congenital heart defects, and she sometimes uses a wheelchair due to another medical condition. For her, crossing the street to from LCC wouldn't just be dangerous, but could cause her to exert too much energy.
There are times when Arnold needs to grab something from her car and keep her son close enough to keep an eye on him, she said. That couldn't happen in the playground's proposed location.
"If you’re someone who’s using this playground, you’re going to be someone who has these difficulties, and it’s not set up in a way that allows easy coming and going," she said.
Lansing Parks and Recreation Director Brett Kaschinske said there are plans for a small lot with exclusively handicap parking spots near the playground. Baumer added those 14 spots would be reserved for playground use. The city also plans to turn several one-way streets in the area into two-way streets, including Grand.
LCC President Steve Robinson said the college has partnered with organizations on parking before, and is open to an agreement once the playground is built.
Parents also raised concerns about the site's proximity to the Lansing Fire Department headquarters.
Ellie Surtman's child has autism. Loud noises like a siren could cause her child and others with autism, who often experience sensory sensitivity, to run off toward traffic or the river, she said
Wandering is the most common behavior leading to drownings in children with autism, accounting for 74% of fatal drownings in that population, according to the American Association of Pediatrics.
"They’re effectively blocking most of the population they are trying to serve," said Surtman.
Carol Barrett of Quality and Impact Data Solutions, who surveyed families ahead of the design phase, said most respondents "very much appreciated" the city's move to build an accessible playground.
But the survey was conducted in early March, before a location was finalized, so families weren't able to weigh in on the proposed site, she said.
Barrett said she's open to conducting a second survey.
Laurie Baumer, executive director of the community foundation, said the nonprofit is focused on developing the downtown riverfront.
"Safety has been our top priority from day one, and this site was considered the safest because of existing barriers on two sides, protecting children from traffic, and because the river is extremely shallow in this area," she said in an email. "Also, after hearing safety concerns raised by Mid-Michigan Autism Association and a few of the families surveyed, we are adding a fence at the edge of the playground to help prevent children from running to the water without supervision."
Arnold contested that none of the plans included a lifeguard for the dock. Children could easily be drawn to the water if they drop a toy in and want to fish it out or are simply intrigued by its flow, she said.
Kashinske said the parks department considered a handful of sites between I-496 and the North Lansing Dam for the playground. All three spots were centrally located, which meant high traffic and close proximity to the firehouse, councilwoman Carol Woods said.
Arnold added that the severity and symptoms of children's disabilities can vary wildly. While one child may not have an issue with the park, another could find it extremely triggering.
"You’ve got people that seek stimulation and people who avoid it, and sometimes that can be the same kid," Arnold said. "On the equipment, you’ve got kids who need shade. It seems like a recipe for disaster at one point."
Among her suggestions to the city: planting trees or shrubbery along the border of the park to create a sound barrier.
When Lansing City Council approved the parks department's grant for the playground, the location had not yet been determined, Woods said. Now that the renderings are public, parents are raising valid concerns, and bringing advocates and stakeholders back to the table could mitigate some issues, she said.
"It’s extremely important when we are engaging in anything that has to do with a particular population ... that we are bringing in advocates for those groups," Woods said. "We can have all of the best intentions in the world and because it is not utilized, we’re not accomplishing what our goal was.
Playground designs are not absolute and subject to change, Baumer said last week.
Kaschinske said those with suggestions can email himself or Baumer or attend a Lansing Park Board meeting to air concerns about the design.
"If individuals have other locations in that area to place a universally accessible playground or say ‘here’s design elements that can be done to mitigate some of the concerns out there,’ we want people to come to the table with that."
Contact reporter Krystal Nurse at (517) 267-1344or knurse@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @KrystalRNurse.