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Friday
March 29th, 2024

lsc parking lotThe north edge of the original parking lot at the Liberal Senior Center meets the adjoining property which was recently acquired by the center for the building of a new parking lot to allow more spaces to be constructed for more vehicles. That project was recently completed just in time for the center’s annual Thanksgiving meal, which this year was served takeout style due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. L&T photo/Robert PierceROBERT PIERCE • Leader & Times

 

A few years ago, the parking lot at the Liberal Senior Center (LSC) was in poor shape and badly in need of repairs.

In the last few years, that parking lot has been improved substantially, and with a recent acquisition, there is now even more parking on the north side of the center.

“Last September, we acquired the property to the north of us, which was 719 N. Grant with the thought we, in a phased process, would have a parking lot,” LSC Director Darlene Ford said. “We have demolished the structures. To our amazement, the process was a whole lot faster.”

The demolition of property took place in March and April, and the new portion of the parking lot is now in place. Ford credits work from Earles Engineering, the City of Liberal and Seward County in making the project a reality.

The project was finished just in time for the recent Thanksgiving meal the senior center hosts each year, although this year’s meal was done takeout style due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

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Ford said those coming to the senior center will see many similarities between the original parking lot and the newly created lot.

“The parking lot is going to be nearly identical the one that’s there right now,” she said. “It’s going to self-contained. We’re going to have spaces on the east side.”

Ford said nighttime safety issues were also addressed with the recent addition.

“We’ll have lighting, so if there’s an activity going on in the evening time, they should all be able to park in safety and be able to walk,” she said.

Much of the damage to the center’s original parking lot, Ford said, was weather related.

“We had the terrible rain and ice, and the ice just tore it up,” she said. “We went back in and had the features corrected that went bad. We learned a lot not realizing there’s a cure time for cement, and you need to be very careful with what you’re putting on.”

Adding to the issues contributing to the damage of original parking lot, Ford said, was the center’s location itself.

“The west side of the building gets no sun in the winter months, and it was just so unsafe,” she said. 

LSC was opened in the late 1970s, with the parking lot being in place since that time, and Ford said even with upkeep, the lot would likely  would need to be replaced anyway.

“They did changes on that over the years trying to keep it useable, but it only has so much of a life expectancy,” she said. 

In addition to what Ford estimated as 20 to 25 more parking spaces, the new lot will have some other features as well.

“We’ll have some landscaping on the north side,” she said. “There’ll be a privacy fence and some landscaping.”