A plan is in the works to make Gloucester’s public parks more accessible to people with handicaps.

Staff with the county’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism has been meeting with an engineer about the scope of the project, and a contract to perform the work is currently being negotiated, according to B.M. “Lindy” Harper, the county’s public works engineer.

Harper said there’s $174,000 in the current Capital Improvements Plan budget for Americans with Disabilities Act improvements at the parks. However, Gloucester PRT director Carol Steele said she does not think there’s enough money to cover projects needed at each of the county’s eight parks: Beaverdam, Ark, Woodville, Gloucester Point, Tyndalls Point, Abingdon, Brown and Hunters Run.

Priority for projects will be based on type of construction, difficulty of construction, and park usage, Steele said, adding she would expect the top priority to be Beaverdam Park, based on usa...