Lake Havasu Awarded Grant To Be Used To Improve Rotary Accessibility

By Becky Maxedon

Rotary Beach Community Park is about to get a makeover that will provide accessibility to everyone in Lake Havasu City.

The city has been awarded a $969,750 grant from the Arizona Parks and Trails through its SLIF program. The SLIF (State Lake Improvement Fund) grant will be used to make the northern parking areas at Rotary ADA compliant and accessible to all.

City Grants Manager Vijette Saari said, “In our grants division, we do a community hearing to look at what grants are available and what we’re going to apply for in the future.

“Overwhelmingly in 2023, the people who participated said we need more accessible spaces in Lake Havasu. It’s hard to navigate through our parking lots. It’s hard to get to different recreation sites, so the city in looking at our grant opportunities, we started looking at where can we really make a difference in these spaces.”

Saari said the grant will cover 93 percent of the cost of the current project, with the city picking up 7 percent, or $73,235. The city will provide landscaping and labor.

The two parking lots are located at the north end of Rotary Park where it meets the Bridgewater Channel.

Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

“We’ll replace some of the buoys. We’ll be extending the swimming area out further. We’re going to be putting in some Mobi-mats for non-motorized vehicles like paddle boards and kayaks so it will be easier for people to take them across the sand. And it will make the water accessible to those in wheelchairs,” Saari said.

Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

She said the project will extend accessibility all the way to touch the water.

An ADA bathroom will also be added to the area.

“We’ll be taking up all the asphalt in the two parking lots because there are a lot of trip hazards a lot of areas where it’s really hard to come up. We don’t have enough entry spots to get into the beach. We’re going to reconfigure where the ADA access to the water is parking spots are and curb space to bring up wheelchairs and to make it easier for families with strollers and such,” she said.

Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

There will be three areas by which to access the new bathroom.

The sidewalks will be widened in order to meet ADA criteria. There will be shade structures, canopies, outdoor showers and benches.

“We have been awarded the grant and it’s going through cultural review with Arizona State Parks and Trails and we’re anticipating being able to start using the money in about a month and a half,” Saari said.

A map of area that will be worked on at Rotary Park. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

“For me personally, as a mom and someone who has volunteered in the disability community for a long time, it’s very exciting and heartwarming to give more accessibility to people and families that live here and community members that come to visit. I think it’s important to have inclusive spaces that can be used and are easy to navigate,” she said.

She said the Parks and Recreation is going through a master planning process for all city parks.