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The new observation deck on the ADA ramp at the Isle of Palms County Park includes an ADA-compliant bench.
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The ADA ramp at the Isle of Palms County Park is now 8 feet wide.
Renovations recently completed at the Isle of Palms County Park enhance accessibility for disabled persons and also extend the life of ramps, stairs and railings that lead from the parking area to the beach.
The park reopened March 1 after being closed for two months while the $600,000 project was being completed. Half the cost of the work was covered by a federal Land Water Conservation Fund grant.
The new ADA-accessible boardwalk was built on the same footprint as the old ramp but features extensions to a shower deck and a new observation deck that includes an Americans With Disabilities Act-compliant bench – “for those who need a rest, prefer not to be on the beach but still want to be close to the beach action and enjoy the views,” according to Charleston County Park & Recreation Commission Public Information Coordinator Sarah Reynolds.
The new ramp is 8 feet wide, 2 feet wider than its predecessor, and it was extended to provide a gentler slope to the beach.
“The approach was for a more universal design, to not only bring everything up to – or beyond – the ADA standards but to also keep in mind access and safety for this very popular boardwalk,” Reynolds said.
She added that the materials used to construct the new boardwalk and handrail system are environmentally friendly and will last three times longer than wood composite material because “there is nothing for mold, mildew or rot to adhere to and nothing for water to decompose.”
The decking is lumberock, while the railings are a combination of aluminum and PVC.
There are four new showers on the ADA ramp, but Reynolds said one of them would be replaced within four to six weeks.
“Three of the showers have the controls at the ADA height of 48 inches and, upon discovering these showers did not meet ADA regulations, we have ordered a new shower to replace the fourth one. This new shower will be certified ADA-compliant. It will also have handles and two standard height shower heads,” Reynolds explained, adding that plans call for the county to eventually replace the five showers on the main boardwalk.
Reynolds said if the county receives permission from Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, it will be able to add Mobi-Mats at the end of the ADA ramp that will extend access onto the beach.
As part of the project, the county also added concrete pads around two of the picnic grill areas, replaced the grills with those that meet ADA standards and added an accessible picnic table under one of the shelters. In addition, the railing system was replaced at the building inside the park and the stairs and railings were updated to meet ADA guidelines.
The amount of parking in the Isle of Palms County Park did not change; there still is room for 375 vehicles.
