Letter to the editor
I write today with serious concern about the planters that have been placed on State Street. They pose a serious hazard to the visually impaired. If you are below the sidewalk, there is a risk of falling. And the tiny black fences are almost impossible for someone with vision loss to see. Their design is a clear violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
I sat back and hoped that what is being done would meet the needs of our community. I am very disappointed. Obvious and serious mistakes have been made that require a significant amount of money to be corrected. I hope the city realizes that before someone gets hurt.
Maybe, just maybe, when redesigning State Street, it was a bad idea to only get active with fewer than 100 of our communities with more than 20,000 citizens. Posting a survey online does not count as active engagement. And maybe using streets in San Francisco, Palo Alto, and other non-rural cities as role models was a bad idea. I urge the City of Ukiah to bring in an ADA compliance expert to review and redesign what has been built. The planters aren’t the only serious problem. Adhering to the ADA is vital to the well-being of all in our community.
-William French, Ukiah
Comments are closed.