Brighton City Council Gets Pleas to Reopen Imagination Station

After amending the agenda to include discussion on Imagination Station Thursday, The Brighton City Council heard from many local business owners and residents, pleading with them to reopen the playscape this fall and not wait until next year.

Keith Karp, owner of , said his business has suffered and many children's field trips to his store have been cancelled.

"Obviously, I have a very kid-oriented business, but I've talked to a lot of the other businesses and they echo the same things I'm seeing with foot traffic," Karp said. "Tuesday I had four ticket sales. Last year, when you look at this time frame, I had 147. There's a huge difference in my foot traffic and I need that to survive. I put my business here because I did a lot of research. Imagination Station was integral to my business being successful here in downtown Brighton."

Imagination Station was closed last month after traces of arsenic were found in the wooden structure and soil.

Karp said he thinks the city is making a grave mistake if they wait until spring to do something about the playscape.

After hearing more similar comments, council members gave Brighton City Manager Dana Foster the okay to request contract proposals for the arsenic clean-up and return to the Oct. 6 meeting with recommendations.

Foster was also asked to contact the Department of Environmental Quality to determine whether or not volunteers will be allowed to help with clean up.

"Our public is dead-on correct," Chad Cooper, City Council member said. "We need to get this open. It is a problem, it is an image perception.This is a healthy city, our growth is better than many other communities over the last 10 years. And this (Imagination Station) is a key jewel and center-stone to our community."