The South Portland City Council’s recent decision to install a designated handicapped parking space at the end of Deake Street — intended to provide a lookout for individuals with limited mobility — feels more ironic than inclusive, given the city’s ongoing neglect of the public access point and infrastructure at Willard Beach itself.

While I fully support the intention behind this effort and the broader goal of accessibility, this particular solution overlooks the bigger picture. It sidesteps the deeper, more pressing need for meaningful, long-term accessibility improvements. The end of Deake Street, which once offered safe access to the beach via ramp and stairs, remains in disrepair.

Rather than restoring this once-welcoming public space, the city is offering a workaround that not only reduces public access but also invites misuse, complicates enforcement and introduces exceptions that undermine the “no parking” designation long established for these streets.

More concerning is the precedent this sets. It opens the door to broader interpretations — suggesting that parking at the end of any dead-end street may now be permissible. If this is the new standard, then similar accommodations should be fairly considered at other Willard locations with scenic views or mobility needs — including Myrtle Avenue, Beach Street and the rotary at the main entrance.

No-parking restrictions at these locations exist for good reason: to maintain safe traffic flow, protect pedestrian access and preserve critical space for turning, loading and emergency vehicles. Reversing these rules is not only counterproductive but also risks re-creating the very problem that the restrictions were designed to prevent.

The city of South Portland has a responsibility to maintain safe roadways and public spaces, which includes ensuring that parking does not pose unreasonable risks. Even if well-intentioned, installing a parking space in a constrained residential dead-end with heavy foot traffic poses serious safety concerns and exposes the city to liability.

Meanwhile, Willard Beach is facing far more pressing and widespread issues that directly affect community safety and accessibility. Hazardous conditions — broken stairs, a playground in visible disrepair and crumbling infrastructure — have been documented and repeatedly brought to the city’s attention.

Yet these dangers remain unaddressed, posing daily risks to children, families, seniors and all who use the beach. These aren’t minor inconveniences, they’re significant safety failures in one of South Portland’s most treasured public spaces.

If the real goal is to enhance access, wouldn’t restoring safe public entry points, lookout access and recreational infrastructure — for everyone — be a more thoughtful, lasting and equitable solution rather than adding a single, problematic parking space?