Panama City Beach is making beach access for those with physical disabilities a lot easier
PANAMA CITY BEACH — Beach access is about to get a lot easier for people with physical disabilities.
The Bay County Tourist Development Council is funding a project to make Beach Access Point 22 on Surf Drive accessible to those who use wheelchairs or otherwise have physical challenges reaching the beach. The access point will include handicapped parking, ramps and "accessible mats that will roll down to the beach, and ADA-accessible showers," according to a press bulletin from Visit Panama City Beach.
Groundbreaking was on Feb. 22, and work is currently underway. It should take six to eight months.
As noted in a sign on site, the land was acquired pursuant to the Federal Lands to Parks program. This program, as the name suggests, "helps communities to acquire, reuse and protect surplus federal properties for local parks and recreation," according to the program website.
"States, counties and communities may acquire federal land and buildings no longer needed by the federal government at no cost on condition they are protected for public parks and recreation," the website says. "Since its inception in 1949, this program has transferred about 184,000 acres of land to state and local governments for parks and recreation use."
At its Dec. 5 meeting, the Bay County Commission awarded the $452,442.60 construction contract to C.W. Roberts Contracting Inc.
"I'm so proud of this project," Commissioner Clair Pease said at that meeting, according to the video archive. "And I'm proud of the TDC, which is paying for the project. The property was given to us by the Navy and the TDC (Tourist Development Council) is picking up the 452 and change to get it built."
Commissioners expressed strong support for the project, and noted that it took several years to get all the pieces in place.
Pease noted that the project will be a benefit "not only to people that are visiting here that are handicapped and can't get to the beach, but (also) to people that live in Panama City that right now can't get there."
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Panama City Beach making Access Point 22 handicapped accessible
