HomeMy WebLinkAboutDisMinutes_2011_02_18Brookings Committee for People who have Disabilities
February 18, 2011
A meeting of the Brookings Committee for People who have Disabilities was held at 2:00 p.m. on
Friday, February 18, 2011 in the Brookings City Hall with the following members present: Dave
Miller, Jeff Vostad, Kathy Heylens, Alan Davis, Lonnie Bayer, Matt Simet and Jessie
Kuechenmeister. Absent: Kim Lindell, Nancy Hartenhoff-Crooks and Dona Kornbaum. Shari
Thornes was also present
Miller called the meeting to order at 2:00 p.m. A briefing on the City Nature Park Phase I was
added to the agenda. The January minutes were approved.
Meeting Schedules:
Special Plan Review Meeting – Friday, March 4th @ 10:00 a.m.
Next Regular Meeting – Thursday, March 24th @ 2 p.m. or Friday, March 25th @ 2:00 p.m.
(dates pending)
New Business:
Updated Plan Review - Community Cultural Center. Allyn Frerichs, Park and Recreation
Superintendent, Matt James, CCR Board member, and Susan Brugger, CCR Director, reviewed the
updated exterior plans.
The Committee and staff made the following comments:
The design includes small paver brick sections in the path of travel. Pavers are acceptable as a
smooth path of travel if maintained. Concerns were noted that pavers have a tendency to
heave from frost.
When the Committee reviewed draft plans on October 22, 2010, they recommended
integrating a 36” wide path commencing at the farthest west end that would tie into the
primary path. Frerichs said this suggestion was reviewed; however, drainage from the building
was a concern. He noted the primary sidewalk is flat and would be the same distance as an
interior sidewalk.
A new van accessible parking space was installed on the 6th Avenue corner, but is not marked
with vertical signage yet.
There are handrails on both sides of the north entrance steps from the 4th St. sidewalk to the
building. Clarification is needed on the flat handrail extension dimensions. They appear to be
8” rather than the required 12”. The steps may need to be recessed 4 inches.
The handrail continues up the stairs and along the west side of the sidewalk but stops short of
the building’s north entrance. Suggestion to continue the handrail continue the full length of
the sidewalk.
The tables in the patio area are not fixed. Table designs were not available yet.
Last October the plans didn’t include any dimensions or slopes. Frerichs reviewed slopes for all
paths of travel. All were found acceptable.
Project timeline: Spring 2011 as soon as weather permits. Waltz Construction is the contractor.
City Nature Park – Phase I Update. Frerichs distributed development design drawings for Phase I
of the Brookings Nature Park Project for initial committee review. Detailed review will be done at
the March meeting. Construction is planned summer 2011.
Front Street Plan Review. Frerichs asked the Committee to consider eliminating the proposed
accessible parking space in front of the Park & Recreation Center (corner of Main Avenue and Front
Street) because there’s already a space in front of the funeral home (corner of Main and 3rd Street).
He suggested the parking space behind the building adjacent to the fire department training
building was sufficient proximity. The Committee objected stating the Park & Recreation parking
lot relocation will displace two accessible spaces – one to be located across the street by the depot
and the other on the street. The space behind the building is too far away from the accessible
entrance.
The Committee reviewed the proposed plans at their January 14th meeting and had the following
questions/concerns that needed to be addressed. Jackie Lanning, City Engineer, provided updated
drawings and the following information and responses:
1) Plans didn’t include all proposed accessible spaces. Please update plans to include the
additional spaces on Main Avenue in front of the Park & Recreation building.
o Engineer’s Response: The updated plans are attached with the accessible spaces shown.
o Committee/ADA Coordinator: No concerns noted
2) The new bump out on Main Avenue & Front Street adjacent to the Park and Recreation Center
needs a curb ramp on east side and crosswalk connecting pedestrians to opposite corner.
o Engineer’s Response: The bumpout ramp is shown on page 15 (page 18 was not
updated yet with the bumpout ramp) On the east side of Main Avenue, we can add a
new ramp on the south side of Front Street (by Hungerford’s office) if needed. I would
highly advise against installing an east/west painted crosswalk across Main Avenue to
the east Front Street ramps. Since this intersection is an unprotected, multi-lane
crossing, there would be a large safety risk.
o Committee/ADA Coordinator: Concurred
3) Are more detailed plans available to show curb ramp designs, particularly the two main
intersections?
o Engineer’s Response: Please see the attached detailed standard plates for the curb ramp
designs.
o Committee/Staff: No concerns noted
4) Is there a way to “square off” the two curb ramps that cross Front Street to achieve a straight or
straighter path of travel?
o Engineer’s Response: The east bound to south bound curb radii for the Front Street
intersection was very difficult to lay out. We needed to accommodate large semi
vehicles, and at the same time, make the curb match right at 36’ wide at the north track
without the trailer hitting the future railroad signal pole which is on the west side of the
street. After the radius was laid out, we examined numerous cross walk layouts. If the
crosswalk were moved easterly or squared off more, with the stop bar 4’ from the
crosswalk, then the vehicle is looking back over their shoulder to the north, not at the
design standard of 90 degrees, and the crosswalk distance would be much longer. We
discussed eliminating the stop bar, but we felt that would be a severe safety hazard for
pedestrians who may expect the vehicle to stop and cross the street unprotected. For
these reasons, the attached design was chosen.
o Committee/ADA Coordinator: Concurred
Accessible Parking Concern – Qdoba/Choco Latte (Citizen Request). Thornes was contacted by a
citizen asking the committee review the Cala Center strip mall parking lot. Vostad visited the site
and noted there are no signs or posts indicating accessible parking. The citizen also found the curb
cuts have been covered by snow. Bayer volunteered to visit with the property owner.
Draft Local Employment Process Flowchart. Simet distributed a draft flowchart he had been
working on that illustrates who people with disabilities contact to access various services in the
Brookings area. He was commended for all his hard work!!
City Council Discussion of ADA Policies (March 8th). The City Council is scheduled to review
current city ADA policies at its March 8th work session. Those policies include: Compliance with the
ADA and the City of Brookings ADA Policies Required as Condition of Funding, ADA Compliance
Review Request of New Construction, Remodels and Retrofits of City (owned or funded) Facilities
and Parks, Automatic Door Openers Required, and “Use of Platform Lifts Prohibited. Members were
asked to attend to respond to questions and provide support for the policies.
Proposed New Parking Flyers. Years ago the Committee created flyers to place on windshields of
cars inappropriately parked in accessible spaces. Laurie Carruthers, City Clerk’s Office, drafted a
new design for Committee review. The Committee made minor changes and approved the design.
Project & Issue Updates:
Barrier Awareness Program. Kuechenmeister met with Joline Dunbar, Brookings FCCLA advisor,
regarding the committee’s concerns. Dunbar plans to speak to her officers’ team to discuss a
other programming ideas such as a speaker.
The Committee discussed the issue more during the meeting and agreed to skip the event in 2011
and work towards a new program next year.
Report on meeting with Mayor Reed. A subcommittee of Miller, Kuechenmeister, Hartenhoff-
Crooks, Bayer, Heylens and Thornes met with Mayor Reed on January 31st.
The group discussed how volunteers are appointed to the committee and if there was a way to
have input in the process. The Mayor agreed with suggestions for committee review and input on
volunteer applications. The Committee will also evaluate member composition and identify areas
of need for the committee and share those thoughts with the Mayor for his consideration when
making appointments.
They also relayed the Committee’s concerns regarding the Mayor’s implementation of term limits
and how that policy negatively affects the Committee efforts. The ADA is very complicated and it
takes many years of training to get up to speed for plan review. Losing members after six years
would be devastating. He agreed that this group is unique and will not stringently enforce that
policy and will look at each appointment with that issue in mind.
They also discussed the committee’s role in reviewing plans and how that process works, to include
the level of detail needed and the number of reviews involved for a single project.
There was a brief discussion about the multi-year wellness center project and some of the
challenges and frustrations. The group suggested the city implement a set project cost threshold
after which an outside review body got involved from blueprint to final walk-through.
The Mayor suggested the committee solicit SDSU student interns from the architecture program
(Dr. Brian Rex) and construction management program (Teresa Hall).
Additional Reports:
City ADA Coordinator’s Report
Survey. Thornes and Hartenhoff-Crooks participated in a DBTAC Needs Assessment Interview
for Title II ADA Coordinators.
Exercise Equipment. Thornes received a call from Shari Landmark at SDSU Wellness Center
requesting review of new equipment specs.
Habitat Grant. Thornes received a call from a grant writer for Habitat for Humanity requesting
data on the number of individuals with disabilities in the community and the number needing
accessible homes. She didn’t have that type of data and asked if anyone would track that
information.
Correspondence/Announcements/Calendar
Continuing to Advertise Student Position
Governor’s Award Nomination Submitted (Thanks Matt!)
Final 2010 Annual Report (enclosed)
University Mall/Final Report (enclosed)
February 23rd Webinar – Building Officials (11am -1 pm)
March 4th 10 am – special meeting on city/county project plan review
March 8th 5 pm – City Council meeting
May 8-11 ADA Symposium – Las Vegas
May 13th New Website Content Deadline
Tentative March Agenda: Action on Revised Downtown Parking Plan, Review Sioux Falls processes
on ADA compliance and new construction/parking plans
Meeting adjourned at 4:00 p.m.
Submitted by Shari Thornes