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Commission presses town on Town House accessibility; property owner seeks HDC approval for ADA ramp
Summary
Commission members described elevator and hearing-audio problems at the Town House, urged signage and an acoustical assessment, and discussed supporting a private owner’s ADA ramp application for 9 Walden Street; commission also endorsed remote access for Town Meeting.
Commissioners spent the second portion of their meeting focusing on accessibility problems at the Town House and broader barriers to public participation.
Bob Andrews (commission member) described a difficult experience navigating the Town House with a wheelchair: unclear signage to the accessible entrance, a nonstandard elevator that requires keeping a button pressed to operate, and poor acoustics that made hearing the hearing-room proceedings nearly impossible. Andrews urged the commission and town staff to commission an acoustical engineer to evaluate the hearing room and to improve signage and wayfinding for the accessible entry.
Town staff (Jessica Porter, who responded during the meeting) said the town has added small signs at the accessible entrance and posted instructions on operating the lift, but acknowledged the limitations of an older building. Porter said the town is exploring other steps, including clearer wayfinding, temporary fixes (such as changing one town-official parking spot to a handicapped space near the accessible entrance) and the option of moving some events to more accessible rooms when feasible.
Commission members recommended producing a short video or map showing the accessible route into the Town House so residents can “know before you go,” and they discussed recruiting volunteers to assist at events. They also discussed how parking and build-up of leaves on ramps create additional barriers.
Privately owned property at 9 Walden Street was presented by Sharon Spaulding, who said she plans to apply to the Historic District Commission (HDC) for approval of an ADA-accessible ramp; she said the design meets ADA standards and that architect Colin Smith prepared plans. Commissioners expressed support for the proposal and suggested the commission could lend support when Spaulding brings the application to HDC.
Separately, the commission discussed town meeting accessibility, including remote access and remote voting options under study by the Town Meeting Study Committee. Members signaled support for hybrid meetings and remote access to reduce barriers for caregivers and people who cannot attend in person.
Next steps: staff will compile existing signage changes and provide an update at the next commission meeting; commissioners urged the town to commission an acoustical assessment of the Town House hearing room and to consider a short guidance piece and map for people with mobility or hearing impairments.
