Shoreline reviews draft ADA transition plan for parks, prioritizes two parks for initial funding

The Shoreline City Council on Aug. 11 reviewed a draft Parks Facilities Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Transition Plan that inventories accessibility barriers across the city’s park system and proposes a prioritization and funding strategy for remedial work.

City project manager Randy Witt introduced the plan prepared with consultant Design to Last. Consultant Laurie Strauss described a field evaluation of 21 parks, a research checklist organized around federal ADA priority levels (Priority 1: entry; Priority 2: circulation and use of amenities; Priority 3: restrooms; Priority 4: other items such as drinking fountains), and a rough-order-of-magnitude (ROM) cost estimate for needed upgrades. Strauss said the ROM total (including a soft-cost multiplier) is roughly $11 million for the park elements evaluated; the spreadsheet-level checklists identify individual deficiencies and costs.

Consultant Deja Foust summarized targeted community engagement—focus groups, interviews, and outreach with community-based organizations—to capture input from people most impacted by accessibility barriers. That outreach informed a prioritization matrix that overlays disability density, a composite social-equity map from the PROSA plan, annual park visitation, validated grievances, federal priority level, ROM costs, and unique amenities.

Using council-provided direction and the prioritization tool, staff and the consultant recommended two parks as the top candidates for the $400,000 allocated in the 2025–26 biennium budget: Twin Ponds Park and Richmond Beach Saltwater Park. Council members discussed implementation, checked that the plan will include a required grievance process, and emphasized that many ADA issues are already addressed through bond-funded park projects. Council requested a funding strategy that is flexible and tied to both an annual target and the capital program; staff proposed bringing a final plan and adoption resolution back on Sept. 22 after the council’s summer break.

Council did not take a formal vote to adopt the transition plan at the Aug. 11 meeting; members gave general concurrence with the plan direction, the recommended near-term projects, and with continuing to refine the funding approach. Staff said the public comment period on the draft remains open through Aug. 17 and that the final plan will return to the parks board and council for action.