Simas Park in Santa Maria could soon see improvements aimed at making the park more accessible.
The park has served the Santa Maria community for decades, with facilities including a lawn bowling area, baseball field, and softball fields.
But as the city looks at future improvements, ADA accessibility is one of the areas being identified for possible upgrades.
The City of Santa Maria hired a consultant to review accessibility at several city facilities, including Simas Park.
Parks and Recreation Director Ramon Galo said the draft assessment identified several accessibility challenges at the park.
“Some of the challenges that are being mentioned is starting in the parking lot. Perhaps there are loading or unloading zones for people that may need access with a van and a ramp, and then how to get from a parking lot into a sidewalk,” Galo said.
Galo said there is a need for accessible facilities in the area.
“Some data that you can see, persons under 65, about 8 or 8.5%, are persons that are registered with disabilities within the city. And then if you go into the older spectrum, 65 and older, that’s where the seniors are. Then the numbers go significantly higher,” Galo said.
For some people who use Simas Park, those accessibility challenges can make it difficult to get around.
Lyndon Furtado regularly comes to the park’s bowling facility. He said he didn’t have to think much about accessibility in the past, but now uses a walker and has noticed some of the challenges.
“I didn’t really need to worry about it before... But we have regular people with no handicap issue that that gutter will cause a problem sometimes,” Furtado said.
Aida Van Heck said improving accessibility can make a difference in seniors’ everyday lives.
“It’s super important, accessibility, because it actually improves your life and then you can go places and do things that you wouldn’t be able to do without the accessibility,” Van Heck said.
Accessibility improvements can benefit more than just people with disabilities.
Parent Avery Fondern said having proper accommodations can also help families feel more comfortable using the park.
“As a parent, you want your kids to be safe and make sure they have the proper accommodations that allow them to play,” Fondern said.
Galo said some of the potential improvements could include changes to the parking lot, better access to sidewalks and pathways, and improvements to access some of the park’s facilities.
That could include ramps and benches to help people navigate the park more easily, including when the baseball and softball fields are open.
The city is also looking at how to pay for the potential improvements.
“At the previous City Council meeting, the figure was $900,000 in CDBG was mentioned. Recently, there was an allocation from Congressman Carbajal provided to the City of $500,000,” Galo said.
The project is still in the early stages, and specific improvements and a timeline have not yet been finalized.
