The McCall City Council adopted a plan this month that will improve access for people with disabilities in certain areas of the city.
The plan, Access McCall, lays out necessary upgrades for city parks, buildings, and sidewalks.
The 2020 estimated population of McCall was 3,453, and of those, 284 people reported having a disability. Seventy-three percent of the people reporting having a disability range in age from 35 to 64.
The plan identified top priority upgrades as the McCall Civic Campus, a boat ramp near Legacy Park, and Gold Glove Park
Access McCall plan
Renovating the parking area of the Civic Campus would cost an estimated $250,000. This area is surrounded by the McCall Public Library, which is currently under construction, city hall, Treasure Valley Transit center, and the McCall Senior Center.
The recommended project would pave the parking lot, incorporate disabled access parking, and add pedestrian walkways to better connect the buildings on campus.
“The remainder of the Civic Campus would benefit from accessibility upgrades to provide improved parking for people with disabilities; transit access on the parking lot side of the transit center; a pedestrian access route around the northern periphery of the parking area; a pedestrian route connection to the pathway; and sidewalks along 1st Street (planned as part of a separate city project). In totality, these upgrades would help maximize access to this hub of public facilities, as well as the programs and services in these buildings,” the project draft said.
For Gold Glove Park, the project recommends that access routes on already paved areas around restrooms to the viewing area of the ball fields, the playground, drinking fountain, and picnic areas be extended. There were also minor recommendations for the restrooms that included adding grab bars in the men’s restroom. The estimated price tag for this project would be anywhere from $30,000 to $50,000.
For the city-owned boat ramp near Legacy Park, it is recommended that disabled access parking, accessible docks for mobility aids, and a pedestrian crossing zone be added. The estimated price range is between $40,000 to $60,000.
The plan recommends the city include a yearly investment fund of $50,000 for the implantation of the plan’s priority projects. One of the listed projects was upgrades to the Central Idaho Historical Museum.
Sidewalk upgrades are also part of the plan. The sidewalks included are on First Street to Park Street, Lake Street, and Mil Road from Fir Street to Pine Street. In total, this would fix up about 1,200 feet of sidewalks.
“The City is recommended to determine how it will proceed for these and other sidewalk repairs, as current City Code requires property owners to pay for sidewalk maintenance,” the project draft said. “This may change if the City determines to use its own Transition Plan Implementation Fund for these sidewalk segments or establishes a funding mechanism like a Sidewalk Utility Fee to address these and other sidewalk needs.”
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The federal Americans with Disabilities Act that was adopted in 1990 required the city to complete this plan.
