Campbell preps to revamp city hall handicap parking

By SARah lehr

slehr@vindy.com

campbell

City officials are working to improve disability access in front of city hall, using volunteer labor from the Campbell Memorial High School football team.

On Thursday, the city added additional handicap-parking signs to mark the 100 feet of existing handicapped parking in front of city hall. Previously there was only one sign, which created confusion as to where handicap parking began and ended and made parking enforcement difficult, Police Chief Drew Rauzan said.

FASTSIGNS in Boardman donated the signs, which cost about $900.

The city also plans to paint handicapped parking symbols onto the pavement by Friday, Rauzan said. Michael Tsarnas of A-1 Industrial Maintenance Inc. will donate the paint.

Finally, the city will repair the concrete ramp leading from the street to the sidewalk in front of city hall. The current ramp is crumbling and has a crack down the middle, which presents a danger of tripping.

“It has a little roughness to it,” Rauzan said of the ramp.

Director of Administration Judie Clement said a cost estimate for the ramp repairs is not yet available. The city will move forward with the ramp, once weather permits.

“We’ve had a wet June and July, which has made pouring the concrete difficult,” Rauzan said.

City Law Director Brian Macala said the preexisting parking situation was up to code and that the improvements are to “enhance” access.

“We are under a duty in Ohio to provide handicapped-access parking at any public facility,” Rauzan said. “The extent of that duty is debatable.”

Macala said elderly and disabled Campbell residents have expressed concern about city hall parking, particularly on court days when parking fills up. “We have an aging population here, which particularly creates a need for accessibility,” he said.