After concerns were raised by local residents at recent city council meetings, the Dexter Council has begun pursuing accessibility options for the gazebo in Monument Park.
A few recommendations and potential ramp designs have been submitted to the city council. ADA standards require a slope of 1:12. Since the gazebo is 30” above the nearby sidewalks, approximately 20’ of run is required. Suggested plans have included an angled ramp leading from Central St.
“I do like the idea of access off of Central Street for a number of reasons,” councilmember Wa-Louisa Hubbard said. “One is that when we have events, a lot of times that street is closed off, so it is a safer place for everyone, in general, to enter the park. Also, that is where the ADA accessible parking is.”
Councilmember Joe Semifero voiced concerns about approaching the project too rapidly instead of focusing on providing a quality solution.
“We want the ramp to be long-lasting and capable of serving our community well,” Semifero said to The Sun Times News. “The Mayor mentioned possibly making the ramp wider, for instance. We have gone a long time without a ramp at the Gazebo and I think it is more important to do it correctly rather than a few weeks sooner with a temporary solution that could delay a better long-term solution that meets our needs.”
At this time, the Council has not elected to put in a temporary ramp, opting instead to focus the funding towards the final version. The council passed a motion unanimously to direct the city to continue looking at additional financing and options for the construction of a ramp in Monument Park, and the conversation is set to be continued at the next council meeting.
“I’m pleased with how far we’ve come in a month,” Mayor Shawn Keough said. “Let’s make the same amount of progress in the next.”
8123 Main St Suite 200 Dexter, MI 48130
