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Danvers land-use director seeks closer coordination with Accessibility Commission
Summary
Director of Land Use and Community Services Aaron Henry told the commission on May 28 that his department wants to re-engage the Accessibility Commission on Section 504 self-assessments, DPW accessibility work, and pedestrian-safety planning through the Transportation Advisory Commission.
Aaron Henry, the Town of Danvers Director of Land Use and Community Services, met with the Danvers Accessibility Commission on May 28 to reaffirm town support for the panel and invite its involvement in upcoming accessibility work. Henry described his department as overseeing Planning, Building, Public Health, Veteran Services, Senior Services and the Building/Planning office, and he said Recreation is coordinated separately.
Henry said he visited to "reconnect" the commission with town leadership after recent staffing transitions and to open a dialogue about how commission members can contribute lived-experience perspectives. He identified several near-term collaboration opportunities, including the town's seven-year Open Space and Recreation Plan update (which will include a Section 504 self-assessment and transition plan for parks and recreation), DPW-conducted Section 504 assessments for streets and public buildings, and pedestrian-safety work coordinated through the Transportation Advisory Commission (TAC).
Henry described TAC as a cross-departmental forum — including police, fire, DPW, the town engineer and parking staff — that reviews pedestrian crossing complaints, sidewalk issues, speed concerns and crash data. He encouraged commission members to monitor TAC agendas and attend when relevant items appear. He also said DPW has begun integrating accessibility considerations into repaving work so multiple accessibility fixes can be bundled during street projects.
Commission members and liaisons raised practical follow-ups. Aaron invited the commission to catalog issues identified during the recent Walk Massachusetts audit so DPW can address them systematically and help prioritize improvements when resources are limited. On winter accessibility, Henry recalled prior attempts at a high-school volunteer snow-clearing program but noted liability, scope and school coordination as challenges; he suggested contacting an assistant principal and said Recreation staff are exploring partnerships with transition‑age programs.
On overhanging vegetation, Henry said that under Massachusetts law the town may remove obstructions from the public way; DPW sends reminder postcards (about 90% compliance) and may clear persistent violations. He recommended residents contact liaison Matt or Henry directly about overhangs before filing an incident report, escalating only if initial outreach does not resolve the problem.
Next steps include the commission cataloging walk-audit findings for DPW review and commission attendance at TAC when pedestrian-safety items arise. The commission meets next on June 25, when a representative from the Massachusetts Office on Disability is expected to attend.
