Senior center support committee tells Washington council rentals, limited parking are hurting services

Nancy Ranieri, chairperson of the Senior Center Support Committee, told the Washington City Council on Nov. 3 that the senior center’s move six months ago to the Knights of Columbus Hall has left the center short on accessible parking, secure storage and classroom space and has reduced participation.

"We were told we would get 6,500 [square feet]," Ranieri said, and she contrasted that size to the Elks building the group formerly used (in the transcript she said "10," a figure that appears incomplete in the record). Ranieri said Knights of Columbus volunteers completed some promised work — replacing bulbs, remodeling bathrooms for ADA access and paving the lot — but that other promises were not kept, including signage and allocated handicap parking. She said the Knights provided two designated handicap spots; at the Elks she said there had been "at least 6." Ranieri said about 18–20 regular visitors hold handicap placards and that the shortage forces some people to wait in cars until opening.

Ranieri said the center has had frequent external rentals that require volunteers and staff to move furniture and secure belongings; she told the council the support committee documented 29 rentals between May and October and estimated that volunteers and staff have spent about 83 work hours moving and replacing items. She also said storage promised to the committee was not available and that some items have gone missing after rentals. Ranieri warned attendance has fallen "by one third to one half" since the move and said that reduced attendance could affect Aging Ahead’s willingness to continue funding the center’s congregate meal program.

During follow-up questions a councilmember asked about square footage and handicap spaces; Ranieri reiterated the Knights site figure of 6,500 square feet and that the Elks had more level accessible entries and more handicap spots (her recorded Elks figure was "10," which is unclear in the transcript). A councilmember told Ranieri he would try to speak with Knights of Columbus representatives and city staff to address the immediate problems she raised, including parking signage, rental scheduling and the broken ice machine Ranieri said the Knights would not replace.

The council did not take formal action on the senior center’s requests during the Nov. 3 meeting. Staff and council members indicated follow-up would be pursued with the Knights of Columbus and relevant city departments.