The city during Round-Up will provide 13 additional temporary handicap parking spots around town to compensate for permanent spaces blocked by the festivities.

It will temporarily mark handicap spaces at five spots at the parking lot on Southwest Dorion Avenue and First Street, two on the 200 block of Southwest First, four on Southwest Dorion between Main and First Street, and eight on Southwest 12th near the Round-Up Grounds.

According to Police Chief Stuart Roberts, this would increase temporary parking during Round-Up week by 13 spaces. He told the East Oregonian on Aug. 8 the city had two temporary spots near the intersection of Dorion Avenue and Main Street and one on Southwest 12th Street near the Round-Up Grounds.

We looked at where spaces were lost because of Round-Up activity and just generally wanted to have more downtown because there will be so many (more people) in the community for Round-Up, said Nancy Kearns, assistant city attorney.

Kearns said the city tried to disperse the spaces near Main Street. City Manager Robb Corbett said the city worked with Andrea Denton, its human resources manager and an ADA Advisory Board, to make ensure the plan was ADA compliant. He said he did not think the city had violated ADA regulations during past Round-Ups.

The city is really stepping up very well, said Darrin Umbarger, CEO of Clearview Meditation and Disability Resource Center. Theyre doing an excellent job. I mean, as good as you can get for all the people coming into Pendleton.

Umbarger helped the city with the project by giving them information on how to be ADA compliant during temporary events, and setting them up to work on the project with ADA specialist Barney Fleming with the Center for Continuing Education and Rehabilitation in Seattle. He said in the past the disabled and elderly have struggled to find handicap parking during Round-Up because many permanent handicap parking spots were blocked.

City Councilman Keith May helmed a discussion at the August 7 meeting that led council to order city staff to create more temporary handicap parking throughout the city during Round-Up. The directive was born out of the concern that allowing Crabbys Underground Saloon owner Ed Fairbank to have a beer garden in his establishments parking lot during Round-Up would block a handicap parking space.

May said Wednesday he didnt think it was fair for the city to ask Fairbank to come up with a solution to his beer garden blocking one parking spot when the city allowed so many other organizations to cover handicap parking spaces during Round-Up.

May said he was pleased the city had come up with a solution, which Kearns will present to council via staff report at its September 4 meeting.

Contact Chris Rizer at crizer@eastoregonian.com or 541-966-0836.