Pittsfield Venues Move Toward Accessibility
 Barrington Stage is making efforts to improve the theatergoing experience for patrons with limited mobility at its Linden Street location but there are concerns about the steep slope of the existing ramp. |
At Thursday's commission meeting, Don Ferry of Bradley Architects presented a plan by Barrington Stage Company to install a new automated ramp lift at the Sydelle and Lee Blatt Center on Linden Street to improve the theatergoing experience at its secondary stage for patrons with wheelchairs and electric mobility scooters.
"We're working with Barrington Stage on numerous projects [to increase accessibility] as we have over the years," Ferry told the commission. "As monies have become available, we're expanding the process to look at the whole building."
The Linden Street building, formerly the VFW Post 448, which in addition to the 110-seat St. Germain Stage also includes the 49-seat nightclub Mr Finn's Cabaret, now has handicapped accessible restrooms on both floors. Additional parking spots besides the one now available are being identified, and the architects will also help the company look at ways of increasing seating for the disabled.
"We're going to look at the whole thing, because we're going to be spending some improvement money on that, so we want to make sure we're doing so wisely," said Ferry.
BSC is putting forth an application to the state's Architectural Access Board for a variance for the new ramp lift. That would be an additional accessible entrance to the building besides the current ramp to the lower floor, which has a slope much steeper than required by the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The local commission endorsed the plan, provided the work include some sort of emergency call mechanism in place should the lift become stuck. Some concerns were also raised about whether or not the existing ramp would be allowed to remain in use as a public entrance at all.
"That's a pretty dangerous slope," said Jeff Dougan, assistant director of community services for the state Office on Disability, who was in the city to meet with the commission. "I'd be surprised if they let that stay."
The commission was less enthusiastic about the rate of progress on accessibility issues at Hancock Shaker Village, which has not been in contact with the city with long overdue updates on facility changes to its administrative building.
 Jeff Dougan of the state Office on Disability meet with the Disability Commission on Thursday. |
"It was December they were supposed to supposed to file a report, and they neglected to do so, and they have not made any attempt to communicate," Garner told the commission
Elsewhere in downtown, the Berkshire Museum continues to look for funds to install a modern elevator, and the new Whitney Center for the Arts has been asked to make minor entrance changes following a recent site visit by the commission.
At the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, a door sticker has been added to announcing that the building welcomes service dogs, addressing an earlier complaint from a Pittsfield resident who claimed to have been denied access.
At Thursdays meeting, Dougan, who as community liaison for the MOD coordinates with local disability commissions throughout the state, lauded Pittsfield's group as one of the more active an effective he's seen.
"Pittsfield to me, from all my visits, seems a little unique," said Dougan, both in terms of its access to some city funding and its being populated by prominent representatives of many relevant organizations. "You're a lot better off than say, 60 percent of the commissions."
Tags: ADA, cultural venues, disability commission, handicapped accessibility,
