Lions Club offers to fund inclusive playground upgrades at Lions Field; board signals support

Cindy Scales, speaking for the Lions Club, asked the Clayton Village Board to back a community-led effort to make the Lions Field playground more inclusive for children with sensory sensitivities and developmental differences. "We are not asking the Village to fund any of this project," Scales said, adding the club will lead fundraising and work with the village on approvals and equipment selection.

Scales laid out possible features — adaptive swings, sensory panels, musical elements and quiet spaces — and said the fenced Lions Field is a good site because it already limits egress for children who might bolt. She described the proposal as additive to existing structures and emphasized flexibility on exact equipment and staging.

Board members asked practical questions about installation, liability, placement and costs and encouraged a plot plan to show where equipment would fit. One member asked who would handle installation; Scales replied the Lions Club will coordinate with village staff and volunteers. Several members suggested involving the youth commission and including the project in the village's Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan (LWRP) update to help with future grant applications.

The board did not take a formal vote but members repeatedly voiced support in principle and instructed staff to work with the Lions Club on a site plan and grant opportunities. Scales said the club is prepared to fundraise and stage the effort in phases because some adaptive equipment can be expensive.

The next steps are for the Lions Club and village staff to develop a plot plan and a budget, and for the village to advise on permitting, liability review and potential grant integration.