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Middleborough disability commission discusses accessibility dispute at 132 North Main Street
Summary
Commission members reviewed emails about an event at 132 North Main Street and clarified which town offices handle accessibility versus code enforcement after Friends of the Middleborough Public Library raised concerns.
The Middleborough Commission on Disability discussed questions about accessibility and building code enforcement for 132 North Main Street, a recently acquired nonprofit building that hosts public events.
Commission members cited emails from Paula Fay, president of the Friends of the Middleborough Public Library, asking for corrections to a description of an event there and raising concerns that attendees could not access the house. The discussion centered on what accessibility upgrades are required when a previously private building opens to the public and which town officials respond to those concerns.
The commission noted that change of use from private to public typically triggers accessibility requirements, including an accessible entrance, an accessible route to that entrance and, where a bathroom is provided to the public, an accessible restroom. A member said the building’s front door is wide enough for wheelchair access and that a ramp could be added along a side approach; she added she believed the ground-floor bathroom is large enough but had not measured it.
Meeting participants said the town manager, Jay McGrail, serves as the town’s ADA coordinator but does not handle code enforcement; the building department enforces code issues. The matter had been referred to the building commissioner (identified in discussion as Mr. Whelan), according to the commission’s account of forwarded emails.
Commission members also raised the distinction between historic status and automatic exemption from accessibility requirements. They said owners of historic, privately owned properties may apply for variances through the Architectural Access Board but are not automatically exempt when they change a building’s use to the public.
The commission did not vote on policy or issue formal directions at the meeting; members said they would explain to the public why the town manager became involved and who handles building-code enforcement. The commission encouraged the building’s owners and event organizers to contact the commission or the town clerk for guidance on reasonable accommodations.
The commission accepted the Dec. 18 minutes at the start of the meeting and adjourned at 6:20 p.m.
