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Council approves ADA upgrades to West Covina council chamber, adds accessible seating
Summary
Council approved Option 1 of an ADA retrofit for the council chambers, including an east-side ramp, reconfigured seating and accessible restrooms; funding is drawn from a capital projects fund and construction is expected to take about three months.
The West Covina City Council on Oct. 7 approved an ADA upgrade to the council chambers, selecting the staff‑recommended layout that adds an ADA ramp, reconfigures public seating and modifies an existing break‑room restroom to meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards.
Staff presented two schematic options. Option 1 reconfigured the seating into two aisles with an east‑side ADA ramp and increases the seating capacity slightly from the existing layout. Option 2 retained three aisles and also added an ADA ramp but would reduce overall seating. Staff recommended Option 1 for a net increase in capacity and for improved accessibility.
Robert Ortega, the city’s CIP project manager, said the council chamber currently has 120 seats and only one ADA space in the existing layout. The design team showed Option 1 would provide 127 seats and two wheelchair‑accessible spaces; Option 2 would provide 118 seats and two wheelchair spaces. Architect Brian (Brian F. Knight) explained the ramp would be placed on the chamber’s east side and that required clearances and landings were included in the plan.
Councilmember Gutierrez pressed for dispersed accessible seating rather than clustering wheelchair spaces in a single location, citing ADA guidance that accessible seats should be integrated and offer comparable sightlines and choice. “All accessible seats that are clustered in 1 row … it does not provide dispersion. Users have only 1 general location choice,” Gutierrez said during the discussion.
Finance staff said two CIP projects in Fund 160 are available to cover design work: roughly $245,000 listed for City Hall ADA improvements and $150,000 for City Council Chamber ADA improvements, providing approximately $395,000 in capital funding for the design phase. Staff estimated construction could take about three months; the council would relocate meetings to the senior center during construction.
Councilmember Gutierrez moved to approve Option 1 with the additional clarification that the employee seating area be designated to accommodate ADA seating as well; Councilman Contos seconded. The motion passed 5-0 (Contos — aye; Diaz — aye; Gutierrez — aye; Mayor Pro Tem Lopez Villalto — aye; Mayor Wu — aye).
Staff will return with construction drawings, a finalized budget, and scheduling details for temporary chamber relocation during construction. The council instructed staff to ensure accessible seating is dispersed and to reflect those locations in final plans.
