MEMO TO: Members of the City Council
FROM: Mayor John Marchione
SUBJECT:
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Approval of the ADA Transition Plan for Parks and Trails
I. RECOMMENDED ACTION
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Approval of the American's with Disabilities Act (ADA) Transition Plan for Parks and Trails including the 2-year workplan.
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II. DEPARTMENT CONTACTS
Carrie Hite, Director, Parks and Recreation 425-556-2326
Carolyn Hope, Park Planning and Cultural Arts Manager 425-556-2313
Jeff Aken, Senior Park Planner 425-556-2328
III. DESCRIPTION/BACKGROUND
The City contracted with WT Consultants to conduct access audits of all 47 parks and 39 miles of trails to develop a transition plan for parks and trails per Title II of the 1990 ADA. This work includes identifying barriers to access in all areas of parks such as parking, playgrounds, and sports facilities. After auditing all facilities to identify barriers, improvement projects were prioritized with staff, the Parks and Trails Commission, the City Council and the broader community.
In addition, staff engaged a community stakeholder group over the last year, which includes service providers, people with visual and mobility impairments and caregivers to learn about the challenges they face using the park system and what their priorities are.
The data gathered from these sources resulted in three levels of criteria that included priority parks, priorities within parks, and program access needs. Accessible parking, pathways and restrooms were the top priorities and the community expressed a desire to start with those improvements at community parks, such as Grass Lawn, Perrigo and Hartman along with unique parks, like Farrel-McWhirter and Idylwood and civic spaces such as Municipal campus where large community events are held.
The Parks and Recreation Transition Plan will become part of a larger citywide document that includes parks, facilities and public right-of-way. Facilities access audits will begin this fall...
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