Photo: City of Penticton

After "phenomenal feedback" from last year's rollout of the Mobi-Mat at Sudbury Beach on Skaha Lake, Penticton council is considering investing into adding more.

Coun. Ryan Graham requested details on how quickly more could be rolled out in the community ahead of the 2025 spring and summer season last fall.

Council voted unanimously to direct staff to report back with findings on potential costs of expanding Mobi-Mats to other city beachfronts, which will be presented on Tuesday.

Staff said to purchase additional Mobi-mats and chairs, the estimated cost is $30,000 and could be funded through the city's Gaming Reserve.

The recommendation for where the equipment could be deployed is the existing walkway and ramp on the west side of Okanagan beach, with staff's report noting it "would be both strategic and cost effective."

"This location would allow for existing accessibilities amenities to be co-located and enhance the user experience, as well as provides the potential for partnering with vendors in the area that could support managing the chairs on a day-to-day basis," the report reads.

Permanent infrastructure isn't be recommended at this time, as the costs are significantly higher, do not provide the flexibility to change sites, can involve significant environmental permitting, are subject to erosion due to wave action, and do not provide the accessible connection further into the water as can be facilitated by a Mobi-mat.

Staff added that the city will be undertaking a community-based beach accessibility assessment with grant funding received from BC Healthy Communities this year, which will provide further information as to the impact of Mobi-Mats and would possibly identify other opportunities to improve accessibility at the other beaches.

"Without knowing what other recommendations may flow from this assessment, it is hard to predict if there will be other, higher priority items, that the Accessibility Committee and subsequently Council may wish to see completed. However, the mats and chairs can be easily re-deployed to another location should the assessment recommend doing so, so staff are comfortable proceeding in advance of completing the assessment," the report reads.

The city's Accessibility Committee gave their recommendation to approve project.

Council will be discussing the additional Mobi-mats and Chairs on Tuesday.