The Mexico Parks and Recreation Department has added money to the 2024 fiscal year budget to add an entrance and potentially parking at Tyronn Lue Park.

Parks and Recreation Director Chad Shoemaker told council members at a work session meeting on Aug. 14, that $110,000 had been added for the project but there were still questions about how to do it. It’s the only park in the city’s system that has a shelter with no handicap access.

“It’s way overdue for handicapped access,” Shoemaker said. “If you’re meeting your family and grandma has to get down that hill it’s not a good thing.”

Engineers originally drew up a plan to add an entrance to the park that would come off of Green Boulevard. However, some questioned whether it would be better to have the entrance come off of Tyronn Lue Boulevard instead. Shoemaker said they went back to the drawing board and came up with a figure that was much higher for the latter option. The numbers are a few years old so costs have certainly increased but there’s a difference of about $85,000 between the two.

“Now we know it’s an $85,000 difference not a $10,000 difference,” Shoemaker said.

The second option would require the construction of a culvert so the road would be strong enough to hold an ambulance. The cost would also leave no money for parking.

“We won’t do anything until future budgeting if we go off of Tyronn Lue Boulevard,” Shoemaker said.

Shoemaker said the current situation also puts park users in potential conflict with Mexico Public Safety (MPSD). Shoemaker said it’s against the city’s ordinance to drive vehicles into the park but it’s the only option to get handicapped family members to the shelter.

“They’re legitimately trying to get to the shelter,” Shoemaker said.

The city council recently met with some community members near the park. Mayor Vicki Briggs said she believed some in the neighborhood wanted the entrance off of Tyronn Lue Boulevard because they feared easy access to the Green Boulevard.

Director of Community Development Rita Jackson said she didn’t believe the comments the council got that day reflected the majority of the community.

Shoemaker said bringing an entrance off of Tyronn Lue Boulevard also presents some logistical issues. He said there’s only one spot that would work to put the entrance.

“It’s about as far from the shelter as you can get,” Shoemaker said.

The council made no decision and instead is sending the issue to the park board to discuss. Shoemaker said a question would be added to the city’s park survey about the park entrance.