This letter was sent to the City Council on Sept. 6
We have been Piedmont residents for over 20 years and are writing to the City Council about the recent construction of the accessible pathways, curbs, ramps, sidewalks and storm drains at the corners of Manor Drive and Holly Place. In view of the execution of the City Standards as of Sept 6, 2022, to these corner intersections, we raise these points:
- The new curb cuts are unsafe trip-hazards for pedestrians, wheeled apparatus users, and young children strollers.
- Alterations were made to private properties without due process for notification and permission of owners.
- Neighbors, including school children living in the area, use these intersections and therefore should have been notified of the City’s plan before implementation of changes to seek input.
- In reviewing the City’s Standards (document of Sept., 6, 2022 by S. Lillevand, City Administrator), the plan seems more appropriate for large pedestrian sidewalks in commercial areas. These Standards are Curb Ramp Type 1 dated 1/17/17; Curb Ramp Type 2 & 3 dated 12/06/18; and Curb Ramp Type 4 dated 1/17/17. The use of these diagrams aren’t appropriate for residential neighborhoods where smaller sidewalks are not in character or scale of urban commercial areas.
- The new curb cuts and ramps aren’t attractive to the scale and quality of the Manor and Holly neighborhood.
We urge the City of Piedmont to hire an ADA expert to seek a resolution and revised designs to satisfy ADA Standards and address the concerns of nearby neighbors and the corner property owners.