Universally Accessible Playground Nearing Fruition In Suttons Bay

Leelanau County is set to get its first-ever universally accessible playground – at least, if project coordinators can raise the $350,000 necessary to build it. The playground, which is planned for Herman Park in Suttons Bay, would feature a farm theme to honor Leelanau County’s agricultural heritage, and is tentatively slated to begin construction this fall. According to Debbie Slocombe, a Suttons Bay Township trustee and member of the Friends of Herman Park group, the project represents the final chapter in a years-long effort to flesh out the recreational features at the park.

“I’m of the mind that playgrounds are always super exciting, but this one is extra exciting because it would be the only true universally accessible playground in the area,” Slocombe says of the Herman Park project. Michigan, as a whole, only has a handful of playgrounds that fit the universal accessibility mold.

Universally accessible playgrounds – also known as “all-inclusive” or “universally designed” playgrounds – are playgrounds “where children and families of all ages and abilities will be able to explore and play together,” Slocombe says, including those with physical, cognitive, or sensory disabilities. These types of playgrounds go beyond simple ADA accessibility by offering spaces where kids of all abilities can interact, play together, and forge connections that transcend their differences.

“Instead of having separate special needs playground sections or playground equipment alternatives, an inclusive playground has modified pieces of equipment where children with disabilities can fully participate without leaving the main play area,” explains Playworld, an inclusive playground designer.

The other goal, Slocombe tells The Ticker, is to build a playground that provides barrier-free opportunities for anyone and everyone to enjoy “the six elements of play,” including balancing, sliding, swinging, spinning, climbing, and sensory play. Hitting all those elements, she explains, takes a playground beyond simple  recreation and makes it a well-rounded tool for healthy development and physical activity.

Last fall, Suttons Bay Township received a $105,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to put toward the playground project. The money came from a DNRgrant program that sets aside 10 percent of proceeds from Recreation Passports – which grant access to Michigan state parks, state forests, DNR trailheads, and more – for communities to develop or improve local public recreation facilities.

The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians also chipped in, awarding Suttons Bay Township a $15,000 grant for the playground project as part of its July 2025 2 percent gaming revenue allocations.

Those two grants, Slocombe says, served as the foundation for the quiet phase of the playground fundraising campaign, which is shooting for $350,000 for a full buildout. The campaign, which moved into its public phase last week, has raised about $186,000 so far. Depending on fundraising progress throughout the spring and summer, Slocombe estimates the township and Friends of Herman Park could break ground on the playground this fall.

Now that the fundraising effort is public, Slocombe is hopeful a few deep-pocketed donors will come forward to pay for entire pieces of the playground. In those situations, she says, the donors would “be recognized” with plaques affixed to the equipment they helped provide.

“The one play structure that I’m really hoping someone might want to donate is this John Deere-looking tractor for the young people can play on,” Slocombe says. “It’s so, so cute, but it is a little pricey.”

Not that Slocombe and the Friends of Herman Park are strangers to raising money. Since 2009, the 126-acre park has seen all manner of additions and improvements, including tennis and pickleball courts, a dog park, a frisbee golf course, soccer fields, a pump track, and a paved trail.

“We’ve done a lot of work to add uses to the park that appeal to older children and adults,” Slocombe says. “This is the last piece of the park puzzle, and it’s meant especially for our younger community members. We really think that this will connect all of our community to enjoy this active recreation park that we've developed over the years. The community has been so important to that work, because almost all of the development has happened thanks to donations.”

Progress reports on the fundraising and playground buildout will be posted periodically on the Suttons Bay Parks & Recreation website.