Commissioners consider fairgrounds grant
By Terry Murry on Monday, January 24th, 2022 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
WALLA WALLA – The Walla Walla County Board of Commissioners meets today (Monday) at 10 a.m. The board is expected to authorize Chairman Todd Kimball to sign a Washington State Department of Agriculture fairs program capital projects grant agreement for $248,784. The grant money will go towards making capital improvements at the Walla Walla County Fairgrounds.
According to Manager Greg Lybeck the capital improvements include new fencing, two new ADA-compliant parking areas, ADA-compliant ticket booths, three new entrance points to the fairgrounds (two existing ones will be eliminated) and paving from the south part of the grounds to both the main fair area and also to the grandstands.
“It will allow wheelchairs to travel from north to south without having to go through gravel,” Lybeck said. “It will also eliminate paying customers walking into the fair having to dodge cars coming into the fair.”
Currently, fair patrons who access the fairgrounds from the south have to cross Tietan Street, which does not have sidewalks, to enter the pedestrian gate. Lybeck said the fair proposes replacing the 50-plus year-old fencing, move it back 10 feet from the current fence line and creating an ADA-compliant sidewalk on fairgrounds property.
The fairgrounds has already been approved for this grant and Lybeck said work will begin when the commissioners sign the contract and his staff have until 2023 to complete it, but they’re shooting for sooner. “Our goal is to complete it by this year’s fair,” he said.
Commissioners consider fairgrounds grant
By Terry Murry on Monday, January 24th, 2022 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
WALLA WALLA – The Walla Walla County Board of Commissioners meets today (Monday) at 10 a.m. The board is expected to authorize Chairman Todd Kimball to sign a Washington State Department of Agriculture fairs program capital projects grant agreement for $248,784. The grant money will go towards making capital improvements at the Walla Walla County Fairgrounds.
According to Manager Greg Lybeck the capital improvements include new fencing, two new ADA-compliant parking areas, ADA-compliant ticket booths, three new entrance points to the fairgrounds (two existing ones will be eliminated) and paving from the south part of the grounds to both the main fair area and also to the grandstands.
“It will allow wheelchairs to travel from north to south without having to go through gravel,” Lybeck said. “It will also eliminate paying customers walking into the fair having to dodge cars coming into the fair.”
Currently, fair patrons who access the fairgrounds from the south have to cross Tietan Street, which does not have sidewalks, to enter the pedestrian gate. Lybeck said the fair proposes replacing the 50-plus year-old fencing, move it back 10 feet from the current fence line and creating an ADA-compliant sidewalk on fairgrounds property.
The fairgrounds has already been approved for this grant and Lybeck said work will begin when the commissioners sign the contract and his staff have until 2023 to complete it, but they’re shooting for sooner. “Our goal is to complete it by this year’s fair,” he said.
