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Parents demand fence at Palm Bay inclusive playground over safety concern

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Published  April 28, 2025 10:36pm EDT
Brevard County
FOX 35 Orlando
Palm Bay parents say playground safety upgrades inadequate

Palm Bay parents say playground safety upgrades inadequate

Parents in Palm Bay say safety took a back seat on a new all-inclusive park in the city. The city just wrapped a nearly $500,000 renovation to make the playground at Fred Poppe park more inclusive for children with disabilities.

The Brief

    • Parents in Palm Bay are raising safety concerns over a newly renovated all-inclusive playground near an unfenced body of water.
    • Families of children with autism fear the risk of drowning and are calling for a protective fence.
    • The city has yet to respond, despite previous parent pleas and a recent similar tragedy in Central Florida.

PALM BAY, Fla. - Parents in Palm Bay are raising safety concerns over a newly renovated all-inclusive playground near an unfenced body of water.

‘I wouldn’t bring my children here’

What we know:

Palm Bay recently completed a $500,000 renovation to make the playground at Fred Poppe Park more inclusive for children with disabilities. While the new equipment, such as special swings and sensory panels, meets accessibility standards, many parents are alarmed by the playground’s proximity to a large body of water — and the absence of any protective fence. Families of children with special needs say the setup poses a serious safety risk.

What we don't know:

Despite repeated requests from parents, it remains unclear if or when the city of Palm Bay will install a fence to separate the playground from the nearby water. Officials have not provided a public timeline or response addressing the specific concerns raised by families, even though some parents began asking for a fence well before the park’s recent renovation.

The backstory:

Parents like Tia Nichols have long advocated for safety improvements at Fred Poppe Park, particularly the installation of a perimeter fence. Nichols said she has submitted emails and messages to the city without success. 

The urgency is heightened by a recent tragedy in Osceola County, where an autistic child drowned after slipping through a break in a fenced special-needs playground. Parents fear a similar tragedy could occur in Palm Bay if action is not taken.

Big picture view:

Families raising children with autism or other special needs are sounding alarms that inclusive design must prioritize safety alongside accessibility. Nationally, children with autism are 160 times more likely to die from drowning, according to the Autism Society of Florida. Advocates argue that without safeguards like fencing, parks intended to serve vulnerable communities can inadvertently become dangerous.

What they're saying:

Some parents are refusing to take their kids to the park because of how close it is to water without any kind of barrier.

"When we made this park inclusive, it doesn’t feel inclusive to us," said Abby Schell who has nonverbal autistic children.

She isn’t the only mom who’s worried.

"Having the water so close to the playground, I wouldn’t bring my children here," said Kailyn Meek who’s also worried about safety.

These families are now avoiding the playground altogether. They have children with special needs and say their kids would be too close to harm’s way.

"As a parent with two autistic children, I avoid places with large bodies of water so seeing this is extremely scary especially since it’s supposed to be an inclusive playground," said Schell.

One mom in particular, Tia Nichols, has spent years trying to get a fence put around the park even before the ADA renovation work finished. 

"I don't want to see another headline saying autistic child found dead," said Nichols whose child has autism.

A child with autism was playing at a special needs park in Osceola Counthy last year that was fenced in but had a crack in the fence. That child wandered off and drowned.

"It's very common when we have these types of incidents that they're found in bodies of water," the Osceola County Sheriff, Marcos Lopez, back when this incident happened.

These Palm Bay parents have one simple request: close in the space to keep kids safe.

"We just want to remedy this with a simple fence," concluded Meek.

Parents are sounding the alarm because data backs up their concern. According to the Autism Society of Florida, children with autism are 160 times more likely to die from drowning.

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO:

The Source: FOX 35's Reporter Esther Bower saw parents discussing concerns on social media and reached out to learn more. She met multiple moms at the park on April 28, 2025,. She also sent an email to the city asking if they were looking into these parents concerns and if they were considering a fence. At the time of her report, she didn't have a statement from officials but was told someone was looking into her request. She also spoke with a city councilmember, Chandler Langevin, who said he was going to schedule meetings on the issue this week. Lastly, she referred to previous FOX 35 reporting for information on the recent park drowning in Osceola County.

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