Having fun at Clapp Park last winter. A new shared sled program will make it easier for Pittsfield resident to sled at the park once the snow arrives.

The sled library would hold up to about 20 sleds.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Clapp Park will soon have a community-led sled library to spread the joy of winter activities.

Last week, the Parks Commission granted resident Lindsey Marion permission to place a free sled box near the scoreboard at the park. It will hold a collection of sleds that visitors can borrow and use on the property's impressive hill while fostering community engagement.

Now, the city just needs snow.

"It's just a box that we would put sleds in. They would be labeled to return for the sled library. Volunteers would go by and make sure that the sleds are picked up and put in the box a couple of times a week," Marion explained.

"And we've gotten donations from community members, other organizations have reached out and offered to donate sleds but we just wanted to get approval before we started collecting copious amounts of sleds at my house."

The box, made out of wood with a sign on top, is estimated to fit around 20 sleds. A sign made by RSI Signs reads "Clapp Park Little Sled Library" and below the box says "Take a sled, have some fun and please return when you are done (Use at your own risk.)"

It is not yet installed.

Marion, who lives on Oxford Street, said one of her biggest annoyances is transporting sleds to the park even though it is close to her house.

"The last thing I want to do is lug all of the sleds and the kids across the street so I just think it would be nice for people to just maybe bring their kids and all of their clothes and have a sled that they can use while they're there then return it," she explained.

"I know there's a lot of kids in our neighborhood and the surrounding neighborhoods that could probably benefit from something like this."

There was some question of liability even though it is not a city program. The commission is going to try to get an opinion on this from City Solicitor Stephen Pagnotta before next winter.

Director of Downtown Pittsfield Inc. Rebecca Brien and Marion researched the libraries, as the idea was found on Facebook. They found that at least 100 different communities have a similar program and one of the earlier ones was temporarily taken offline due to liability concerns and then reinstated.

"Clapp Park is used regardless. The slides themselves are coming from community volunteers as opposed from the city itself," Brien said, explaining that it is a common practice.

Commissioners agreed that it is a great idea for the park.  

Also on the agenda was a proposal for a kayak share at Onota Lake through a kiosk company called Whenever Watersports out of Connecticut. The request for a one-year trial period of the program.

Through an app, users can rent kayaks onsite at the lake for an affordable price. General liability coverage is a part of the model and there are no startup costs for the city.

The company proposes a unit with four slots for kayaks that are self-serve through the virtual renting system for about 15 dollars per 30 minutes.

"They will do all the maintenance. It's solar powered," Recreation & Special Events Coordinator Madelyn Brown explained.

"It's normally a revenue split if we fronted some of the costs but this would be no revenue for us, but we would have it for free for folks to use."

There are a couple of different locations at the lake being considered for the kiosk.

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