Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


Some upgrades are planned to the playground at the popular Genoa Park.

At a recent meeting, the board approved replacing the rubber surfacing for the playground area at Genoa Park on the township hall property that’s beyond the hill and visible from I-96. That’s also where the all-inclusive Howell High School Senior Survivor Playground is being constructed and there’s visible progress being made.

Portions of the playground surfacing were said to be pretty poor condition and really beyond useful life, with the worst area by the swings, and then various patches. Additionally, the soccer kick wall turf will be converted to a rubber surface.

Supervisor Bill Rogers said they’re fortunate to have a company that will already be mobilized on site this summer for the Senior Survivor Playground that will do the work and get the whole thing taken out and replaced.

There was an associated increase in cost of about $32,000 to get the entire project done this year, rather than break it up into two years. However, that will actually result in a cost savings of around $18,000. Rogers said instead of a lengthier and more costly phased approach, this will be one uniform fix - noting they have funds available and will still have a substantial fund balance.

The board determined a five-year warranty was sufficient, as the useful life of poured-in-place surface is roughly 10 years.

Clerk Polly Skolarus suggested switching to wood chips or mulch for a cost savings, saying the $132,000 price tag was a lot of money for something that would only last ten years.

Others on the board felt that would be a step backward, with some raising safety concerns and others commenting they are messy, not as soft, potentially flammable, and need to be replaced every year.

Treasurer Robin Hunt said she would hate to go backward and go to wood chips. She said she realizes that it is a lot of money but it’s one thing that really makes their park stand out and kids love it because they don’t get hurt if they fall on it - adding wood chips aren’t so friendly.

Township Manager Kelly VanMarter also stated they built a very high-quality, beautiful facility and the rubber surfacing is part of what makes the park so special – adding she felt it would be a downgrade of the facility if they took out the rubber and make it less desirable for people to visit.

The work will be done sometime this summer and the projects will be coordinated so that not everything is shut down at once.

VanMarter commented that they have a lot of schools and child care centers that use the playground in summer and they don’t want to make all playgrounds inaccessible to kids. She said they’ll make sure that some segments remain open and available for play - even if it means expanding construction for a couple days.

Rogers told WHMI the surface has been deteriorating and it’s time and he appreciates the board support in doing it all at once versus staging it and they’ll keep an eye on it as time progresses.

With the Senior Survivor project already being staged, Rogers said the company did the township a “very big solid” in helping them both financially and getting everything taken care of in a timely fashion. He encouraged people to swing by and observe progress on the project; saying everything is moving along and it’s really neat to see the progress - not just piles of dirt moved around.

Howell High School's annual Senior Survivor fundraiser raised more than $450,000 over two years to fund the construction of the inclusive playground, which is being built in partnership with Genoa Township. The playground will feature nature-inspired structures, with the goal being to provide a safe place where children of all abilities can play together.

The project could reportedly be wrapped up sometime in July - weather, material, and equipment permitting.