Posted on August 30, 2017
Author Michael Gallenberger, WKVI
Starke County is working to make one of its government buildings more accessible to people with disabilities. Last week, the county commissioners approved the construction of a sidewalk ramp in front of the Annex 2 building, which houses the health and probation departments, Starke County Community Corrections and Purdue Extension.
The addition follows a recent ADA audit by Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler. “A ramp exists in the back of the building, and it does meet minimal engineering standards,” he told the commissioners. “The problem with it is that back door is often kept lock for security reasons, so that means, basically, someone who needs to get into the building with a wheelchair would have to come all the way around the building on the sidewalk all the way around, which kind of doesn’t make sense because the front of the building’s already made for ADA. There’s a ramp in the front. The doors in the front are wider, and they have the button on them. The lift is out in the front. Really, they were made for someone to go out in the front.”
The commissioners chose Covenant Concrete Construction to build the sidewalk ramp, for a cost of $1,500. The City of Knox has agreed to cover half of that cost, under its 50/50 sidewalk replacement program.
Meanwhile, the commissioners also decided to hire a contractor to repave the parking lot at Annex 1, for an estimated cost of $1,800. While Ritzler said his department could do the work in-house, the outside contractor would be able to use hot mix asphalt, which would make for a better surface.
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