Damaged Pigeon Point park play stations to be repaired

Eric H. Doss/TheDigitel
From an April 21 fundraiser for the park.

In 2006 renovations to Pigeon Point Park were largely completed and the park has become increasingly popular with  neighborhood residents and Beaufort at large. 

With that popularity has come wear and tear and the City of Beaufort is aiming to replace broken playground equipment under warranty with the hope of having it ready for kids by mid-September.

In early June, though, wooden support posts were found to be rotting.

"Our public works team noticed the problem on June 1 and we have dismantled that particular piece of play equipment for safety reasons," said Eliza Hill, Beaufort's landscape architect. "It's a shame that this happened right as summer vacation started, and we feel bad for the children who haven't been able to play at Pigeon Point Park."

The decaying materials are covered under the manufacturer's warranty and will be replaced without charge other than labor, said Isiah Smalls, Beaufort's director of public works.

"The new supports are supposed to be shipped to us in mid-August, so as soon as we get them and get the installers on site, we'll have that playground equipment ready for use," he said.

The affected equipment includes circuit play event pieces including overhead ladders, climbers, boardwalks and a treehouse. A selection team in 2006 chose the wooden material largely because it blends in with the local environment, Hill said.

Beaufort City Manager Scott Dadson said the repairs are a priority for the City. "We value our parks and playgrounds and the Pigeon Point Park has been exceptionally popular with the younger children even since it re-opened in 2006," he said. "We'll get the equipment fixed and back in the swing as soon as possible."

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