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Elgin parks now ADA-accessible after push from city
Elgin’s latest ribbon cutting represented not just another grand opening, but a celebration of the dedication and combined effort of city organizations, a commitment to accessibility and a promise of more to come.
Council members met public department staff, group leaders and plenty of excited kids June 15 for the unveiling of the new Thomas Memorial Park playground.
“This is such a huge accomplishment for us and we’re really proud of it, and I’m so glad we can share it with everyone today,” said Parks and Recreation Manager Elizabeth Marzec.
The playground at 411 Madison Street put to use months of community input to meet the needs of Elgin’s growing population, taking advantage of the site’s features and is the final city park to become ADA-accessible.
The park’s play area effectively doubled in size with its renovations, now completely in shade. An almost 16-foot-long slide stretches down the playground’s hill, a tower feature includes climbing and balance obstacles and a parent-and-baby swing set flies over an interactive electronic response game.
Limited mobility residents are able to traverse the new bonded rubber surfacing regardless of physical ability, according to Marzec. Site features are easily accessible at arm height and include an ADA swing.
“We are excited to make accessibility and creative play a priority for our community,” Mayor Theresa McShan said. “This is a wonderful day for the citizens of Elgin, especially those living in Ward 1, to see the positive improvement of Thomas Park for their children. Through commitment and perseverance, citizens have played a crucial role in this continued improvement.”
Community Services Director Amy Miller took the time to discuss what it takes to realize such an endeavor.
City staf f worked through the Parks and Recreation Department’s Open Space Masterplan, took in public input, got approval from City Council, received recognition from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and put to use $350,000 from American Rescue Plan Act funds.
“It is certainly a process that demands patience and persistence,” Miller said. “A master plan is critically important to helping you map out how your parks are going to evolve in the community and how you’re going to be able to support a growing community like ours.”
A consistent push and cooperation between departments and Council is critical to project success, according to City Manager Thomas Mattis.
“No project like this comes off without a lot of teamwork from our staff, all the way up to the Council and Mayor,” Mattis added. “There’s going to be people coming here visiting, pulling out of this park, saying ‘I wish my town had something like that at Thomas Park.’ I think that’s a really cool thing that we all should take some pride in.”
Descendants of the Thomas family, who originally donated the park’s 10 acres in the 1970s, thanked the mayor and city for their determination in bettering the grounds.
Looking ahead, Marzec is open to continuing renovations on existing parks and creating new playgrounds. The manager considers population sizes, heat islands, availability of public land and distance to parks when looking at potential investments, but the decision largely comes down to finances.
“Availability and funding,” Marzec added. “My job is to be the advocate for parks. We should always do better parks, do more parks, but if we have $350,000 like we had for this, that’s not enough to purchase a new park and do anything with it – but it is enough to bring this up to our standards.”
Renovations at Veterans Memorial Park continue to run smoothly, according to Marzec, aiming for a soft opening by the end of July.
Marzec stated that the downtown renovations will be the city’s “most unique” park but expects Thomas Park to remain a crowd favorite.
