MassDOT, designers propose ramp at 1341 Route 28 to meet ADA, say AAB variance likely to be withdrawn

MassDOT project staff and consultants told the Yarmouth Commission on Disability on Feb. 13 that a new ramp design for 1341 Route 28 will provide an Americans with Disabilities Act–compliant route between building entrances and the planned shared-use path, and that the project team expects to withdraw its variance application to the Massachusetts Architectural Access Board (AAB).

The change matters because the ramp would eliminate steps previously proposed at the storefronts and restore ground-level access, the design team said, while the larger Route 28/Dennis–Yarmouth bridge project will rebuild the intersection and add pedestrian and bicycle facilities on a multi-year schedule.

Matt Saltes, Niche Engineering, said the Route 28 work is part of MassDOT's larger five-year project focused on the bridge and utility work. He told the commission that the ramp work would be “constructed as part of the bigger project, by MassDOT's contractor, who is AA Will.” He added the contractor onboarding could begin “sometime in the next couple months,” but cautioned that because the overall project is large “it could be a year or 2 before we see any work in front of this property.”

Kim Miller, a lead engineer with Niche Engineering, described the design for the property at 1341 Route 28. “Our proposed design includes a level landing in front of the entrances and will maintain the existing entrances that will be connected to a 2% slope, sloped ramp that will slope down, and meet the shared use path,” Miller said. She said the shared-use path narrows from about 8 feet to “about 5 feet, 6 inches, at the pinch point.” Miller added the ramp will be concrete, supported by granite curb, and the door-landing outside the entrances will be a minimum 4 feet wide.

Rob Antico, MassDOT project manager on the project, and other MassDOT staff on the call said the contractor must maintain access to buildings and businesses throughout construction and will coordinate with property owners; the team said the contractor is required to provide notice (described in the presentation as 72 hours) before working directly in front of businesses.

On next steps, Saltes said the design team will notify the AAB and the hearing contacts that the team met with the Yarmouth Commission on Disability and is proposing a design solution that meets ADA requirements. “We'll reach out to the AAB board…the contacts that we have that submitted our, meeting that was scheduled for 2 weeks from Monday. And we'll just say that we met with [the] disability commission. You know, here's our proposed design. We find a solution that meets ADA,” Saltes said. He said the team will confirm whether a formal AAB meeting is still needed or whether the application can be withdrawn.

Commission members praised the outreach. Chair Gail Charette thanked the design team for meeting with the commission and for revising the design after earlier public comments. Jeff Colby of the Yarmouth Department of Public Works was named as the town point of contact for the project; Saltes said the team has been “courting closely with Jeff Colby from DPW.”

The design team provided no final construction dates for work directly adjacent to 1341 Route 28; they said the contractor schedule remains to be confirmed. The engineering presentation and the team's stated plan to notify AAB were the principal outcomes recorded by the commission.

Provenance: Opening related remarks and the team's summary appear in the meeting transcript beginning with the design team introduction and presentation; the commission discussion and the team’s stated plan to contact AAB conclude the project's segment of the meeting.