Addressing one of dozens of Americans with Disabilities Act violations cited by federal authorities, town officials last week approved an approximately $12,000 contract with a Norwalk-based company to replace a railing at the paddle lodge in Waveny.
The Board of Selectmen during a regular meeting Jan. 26 voted 3-0 to approve the $11,900 contract with Vinny’s Custom Metal Fabricators LLC.
U.S. Department of Justice officials during an investigation into ADA violations found that “this railing, unfortunately, was shorter than the ramp itself and didn’t have the necessary return at the end, as well as it didn’t have an interior railing,” Public Works Director Tiger Mann told the selectmen during the meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference. He referred to a railing and ramp at the front or east-facing side of the structure.
“We have an interior railing along the porch but not an interior railing on the ramp itself,” Mann continued. “So the Department of Justice came back and said we needed to have a railing on both sides of the ramp, not just one and it had to extend the full length of the ramp where it meets the existing parking lot.”
First Selectman Kevin Moynihan and Selectmen Kathleen Corbet and Nick Williams voted in favor of the contract.
Launched in the summer of 2021, the federal agency’s investigation led to an “on-site survey” of five public facilities in New Canaan in May, and findings of dozens of barriers to access. Town officials denied NewCanaanite.com’s request for the Department of Justice’s report identifying the violations, though the local news site was able to secure it anyway. The barriers range from requiring small changes, such as new or relocated signage, to substantial infrastructure projects, such as entirely new accessible routes where none currently exist or changes to the slope of walkways and ramps already in place.
It’s unclear how much money the town is expected to spend to address the non-compliance with federal law or whether the shortcomings will affect private events already scheduled at Waveny House, such as weddings.
Corbet asked whether there’s any way to reuse the existing railing.
Mann said, “Not necessarily. We don’t have any other railing of that look and feel anywhere, unfortunately.”
Corbet asked whether it would end up in the newly launched Swap Shop at the Transfer Station.
Mann said, “It will go into a recycling metals bin.”