I've heard of caring for the Handicapped.. but

[Slappie 9]

This is just crazy!!



Skate park told comply or close; Citing access violations, state official says, ‘Until it is open to everyone, it is open to no one'

By SHAMUS McGILLICUDDY
The Patriot Ledger

BOSTON - The Uncle Bud Skate Park in downtown Marshfield is all it was designed to be - an outdoor community center for all ages with the skate park, a swing set, play area, picnic tables, checker and chess board, staging and seating.

But designers left out a critical component: handicapped accessibility. And if town meeting fails to approve money to provide that accessibility, a state board will order the park closed.

The state Architectural Access Board, which held a hearing on the issue yesterday, has cited the town for several violations of state handicapped access regulations at the park. Yesterday the board voted to continue the matter to Sept. 30 to give Marshfield time to correct the problems.

But the board's vote included a provision to order the park closed immediately after the April 25 town meeting if voters rejected a request for $75,000 to make the improvements.

Marshfield's capital budget committee, which advises town meeting on how to spend money on construction projects, declined to endorse the money for the skate park last month.

In a tight budget year, the committee instead endorsed spending money on several other projects, such as a $210,000 roof replacement at South River School, $165,000 for a new ambulance, $300,000 for road repairs, and $110,000 to clean up environmental problems at the town's public works garage.

Town Administrator John Clifford said the request for money to fix the skate park will still go to town meeting for a vote. He said the town is accepting responsibility for the problem and intends to make the park accessible.

Although the park was designed and built by volunteers, the access problems resulted from a lack of town oversight, Clifford said.

Access board members were critical of the town's response to problems at the park thus far.

‘‘I find this very disconcerting,'' said board member Myra Berloff, director of the state Office on Disability.

‘‘(The park) seems to be a lovely place. It's a place where the community gathers. I understand that these are errors, but I am inclined to say that until it is open to everyone, it is open to no one.''

Marshfield Public Works Superintendent R. Jeb DeLoach said the town has responded to some of the access citations. He said the town removed a portable toilet that was not handicapped accessible. The town also removed an inaccessible bench.

The board has also cited the park because only one of three entrances is accessible and handicapped parking spaces are too few and too far from the accessible entrance.

Also, there is inadequate handicapped seating in the park's amphitheater, which seats nearly 400 people for concerts and movie screenings. The park has several picnic tables that are inaccessible.

Access board member Doug Semple said the town appeared to put a ‘‘tremendous amount of effort'' into selecting a site for the park and raising money for the park, but little effort into designing the park.

The idea of a skate park in downtown Marshfield was originally brought forward by a group of volunteer parents and teens. The volunteers formed the skate park alliance committee in 2000 and spent more than four years raising money, planning and building the park.

Clifford estimated that the skate park committee raised more than $300,000 in cash and in-kind services to build it.

The park was built on town land and transferred to the town's control last fall.

Skate park alliance committee Chairman Jay Crowley, a lieutenant in the town's police department, told the access board he would argue for town meeting to spend the money to fix the park.

‘‘I plan on speaking in favor of this on town meeting floor,'' he said. ‘‘I take full responsibility.''

Clifford said he would apply to the access board for a variance on some of the access violations. He suggested that the park is a unique structure that merits some relief from the state's access requirement.

In particular, he said the town would ask the board to allow one of the three entrances to the park to remain inaccessible.

"Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them."

[littlestranger 0]

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This is just crazy!!

I'm sorry, what's crazy? The fact that the park is inaccessible or that the're gonna close it?

[Slappie 9]

The fact it's a skate park... and was built with city approvals etc.. and now their going to close it because they screwed up.

"Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them."

[Darius11 12]

"Either let me fly, or give me death, let my soul rest, take my breath,
if I don't fly I'ma die anyway, I'ma live on, but I'll be gone any day"

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Hey man i had the same sig for a while.

Love DMX.

sorry for the hijack

I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not." - Kurt Cobain

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[masterrig 1]

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"Either let me fly, or give me death, let my soul rest, take my breath,
if I don't fly I'ma die anyway, I'ma live on, but I'll be gone any day"

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Hey man i had the same sig for a while.

Love DMX.

sorry for the hijack
__________________________

I know someone who had the same avatar that Slappie has now. Hee, hee...


Chuck

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[JohnRich 4]

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the park was designed and built by volunteers

"No good deed goes unpunished."

So... once those handicapped people get to the skate park, how are they going to skate?

[Slappie 9]

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the park was designed and built by volunteers

"No good deed goes unpunished."

So... once those handicapped people get to the skate park, how are they going to skate?

Twas one of my thoughts also.. Please can someone explain that?

"Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them."

[kelel01 1]

There's other stuff in there, though. I don't get the problem with them requiring handicapped access be added.

[mdrejhon 8]

My opinion is that the picnic area should be handicap accessible. The skate park obviously does not have to be, but the rest of the park should be. Handicapped friends and family members have every right to be proud of watching their skateboarder brother or friends play on the ramps. Or enjoy a nice picnic.

However, I believe this can be done for much cheaper. Temporary ramps using beautiful-looking architectural wood railings protected with weatherproofing. Etc. Skip the bricks and concrete for now, you can build temporary ramps easily. Add them to all steps in the park. Make a second sidewalk adjacent to existing sidewalk. Just find some $10,000 for a temporary modifications until somebody saves up $75,000 for the proper fix using permanent architecture. Unless this is a park on a 45 degree hill that requires a handicapped elevator, or two-storey buildings that requires an elevator, can't this be done cheaper? Get lowbidding running on temporary modifications, and see how low you can get...

It may not be as beautiful, but vastly better than closing the park!