Unidentified Speaker (S1) told the Gardner Accessibility Commission that recent park work has reached a completion stage but still leaves practical accessibility gaps, particularly between the park’s third level and lower areas. The speaker reported taking site photos and said railings remain to be installed and that people with mobility impairments must leave the third level, go downhill and re-enter at a different accessible entrance to reach the first or second levels.

The engineering team recommended ramps that connect the first and second levels; commissioners said that option was within the project scope but adding ramps between second and third levels would extend beyond the original project footprint and funding. Unidentified Speaker (S3) summarized the engineer’s and contractor’s response, saying, “crushed stone dust is an acceptable surface, and it is compacted and maintained properly.” Several commissioners countered that, while compliant with 521 CMR, compacted stone dust can be unstable for some mobility devices and is therefore not fully inclusive.

Officials described the project’s funding posture: staff said remaining funds originated from ARPA allocations and that the team has roughly $60,000 in remaining money to apply toward a change order. The same staff member signaled broader cost constraints, noting a placeholder estimate for a larger change order at about $585,000 and that options adding ramps from both first-to-second and second-to-third levels were not feasible with current resources.

Commissioners discussed interim mitigation. One commenter suggested placing a chain and a sign marking the fourth-level staircase “only for Gardner municipal workers” to discourage public use of an area not covered by the contractor’s work. Staff said the building commissioner’s October response did not list the fourth level as a violation and that whether additional restrictions or signage are required depends on the building commissioner’s final determination.

The commission plans to bring the project’s financials and documentation to City Council; staff said they will present the remaining funding details and sources at the council’s next meeting. The presentation will include records of ARPA fund usage and the engineering responses that inform what elements remain optional versus required.

The commission did not adopt a final directive at the meeting; next steps are a staff presentation to City Council and continued discussion about stabilizing trail surfaces and whether the city should fund ramps or other work outside the original project footprint.