Residents Raise Accessibility Concerns at Pompano’s Senior Activity Center

By Attiyya Atkins

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. — Concerns about accessibility and design at Pompano Beach’s Senior Activity Center continue to surface as residents adjust to the relatively new facility.

During public comment at a March commission meeting, resident Michael Skversky, criticized the placement of the parking lot walkway leading to the building’s entrance.

According to Skversky, the path was installed on one side of the lot rather than centrally, forcing some visitors to walk long distances around the parking area or cut across the grass to reach the building.

“A lot of these people are handicapped, so you have to make it easy for them to walk,” Skversky told commissioners, adding that he has already helped several seniors navigate the layout.

The issue adds to broader community concerns about the facility, which serves as the city’s primary gathering place for senior programs. The building became home to the Senior Citizens Club, which previously met at the E. Pat Larkins Community Center before relocating to the new site.

Commissioner Beverly Perkins said the concerns residents are raising now echo broader worries about how city projects are designed and executed.

“The senior center is only maybe two or three years old, and those are the same problems people have when you say you’re going to demolish the E. Pat Larkins building and rebuild it,” Perkins said during the meeting.

Perkins added that residents fear new projects may repeat the same issues.

“Those are the concerns we have because we know when it’s going to be built, it’s not going to be built properly,” she said.

As the city continues discussions about future redevelopment at the E. Pat Larkins Community Center, some residents say the experience at the Senior Activity Center highlights the importance of thoughtful planning — especially when designing spaces intended to serve older residents.