Two beaches that were once little frequented, because they were difficult to reach, unequipped and poorly maintained, have become points of interest and entertainment for residents and tourists: it happens in Verbania, on the Piedmontese shore of Lake Maggiore, where with around one million three hundred thousand euros ( Announcement for suburbs and European structural funds) the municipal administration has taken steps to redevelop the Tre Ponti and Buon Rimedio beaches, halfway between the city center and the camping area which welcome hundreds of thousands of people every year.
The two new beaches can now also be reached on foot or by bicycle on a cycle/pedestrian path.
Abandoned shores become disabled and pet friendly beaches
The intervention is part of a broader redevelopment plan for the Verbania Fondotoce area and the gateway to the city of Verbania.
"In 2016 we presented a project that consisted of three elements, the redevelopment of the station with the construction of the Movicentro, which was a degraded and abandoned construction site due to lack of resources on the part of the Province; the construction of the cycle/pedestrian path and the opening of two new beaches" recalls the mayor of Verbania, Silvia Marchionini.
"These two beaches had very limited attendance - she adds she - she and they were not known to most citizens", while today they can accommodate over 200 users at the same time.
Abandoned shores become disabled and pet friendly beaches
Tre Ponti beach today extends over approximately 3,000 square meters;
that of Buon Rimedio, closer to the centre, occupies an area of approximately 1,155 square metres.
Until a few years ago, however, the spaces were smaller: the interventions have in fact allowed the beaches to be expanded, thanks to the addition of aggregates and gravel.
At Buon Rimedio, with a view to improving the seaside use of the space, a new protective reef was also created.
Both sites were then subjected to works to allow access to prams and pushchairs: if at Buon Rimedio a lift and an elevated ramp were installed which allows descent from street level to lake level, at Tre Ponti a pedestrian path behind and a car park created in the area between the two carriageways, with a capacity of 26 spaces, three of which are suitable for disabled people.
Abandoned shores become disabled and pet friendly beaches
Precisely the desire to develop a fully accessible structure has led the municipal administration, in recent months, to install a walkway on the Tre Ponti beach that allows access to the water for people with disabilities.
The device, called 'Seatrac Mover', consists of two tracks which, starting from the beach, reach the water: the seat on which moves
people with reduced motor skills can stay.
The device, controlled by a remote control, can be operated independently, without the need for a companion.
"In any case the beach is manned by a lifeguard" explains Alessia Grandi of Verbania Hostel Aps, who has managed the two beaches for six years.
The balance of the first two seasons, he assures, "is extremely positive".
The beach, on which today there is also a kiosk for the refreshment of swimmers, is also dog-friendly: "To those who own animals - he concludes - we deliver biscuits and a bowl of water free of charge, a kit with a sun lounger for the dog and a bag for excrement, so that the beach always remains clean".
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Video Verbania, abandoned beaches become disabled-friendly