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Serenity Circle Counseling asks Isanti officials to add accessible on‑street parking on Main or Second Avenue
Summary
A local counseling practice asked the Committee of the Whole to approve a designated handicap parking space at 201 Main Street; council members and staff discussed tradeoffs between Main Street and Second Avenue, ADA curb‑cut needs, and follow‑up with the city engineer.
Deanna Austin, representing Serenity Circle Counseling, asked the Committee of the Whole on behalf of the practice at 201 Main Street in Isanti to approve a designated handicap parking space closer to the building entrance.
The request matters to the business because patients who use walkers or wheelchairs currently must park in a rear lot and travel around the building; the business said its front entrance is on Main Street. Austin provided photographs of the site and said a ramp exists on the sidewalk at one location that could be used with a properly placed stall.
Council members and staff discussed two candidate locations: on Main Street directly in front of the office and on Second Avenue where there is already a ramp landing. City Public Works staff member Matt (Public Works) raised a concern about the width of Second Avenue and the risk of conflict with vehicles backing from a parking lot across the street. Chelsea (city staff) said aerial review suggests Second Avenue is about 23 feet wide and that no parking is posted on parts of Second; she also noted the engineering recommendation that a curb cut with a full pad ramp would be recommended regardless of which street is chosen.
Several council members said they preferred placing the stall on Second Avenue because of the existing ramp, though others favored Main Street because it would be directly in front of the practice. The requester said she would also remove the existing handicap stall behind the building if one in front were approved, but she emphasized that the back entrance cannot be used for clients because therapy rooms are located there and privacy rules apply.
Next steps: council members agreed to postpone a final decision until city engineer Jason Cook could review options and cost/logistics for a curb cut and ADA‑compliant pad. Staff said Cook will attend the upcoming city council meeting and the committee expects to continue the discussion after that meeting; follow‑up with the requester will be handled by staff.
No formal vote was taken during the meeting; the matter was deferred pending engineering review and possible ordinance changes to parking restrictions if needed.
