During a short 10-minute work session Monday evening, Bradley County Commissioner Charlotte Peak-Jones discussed an issue with the handicap ramp at Michigan Avenue Elementary School. The school is used as a polling place during elections.
Commissioner Peak-Jones said, “Virgil Calfee called me a few days after the August election and informed me of the issue with the ramp. Mr. Calfee is in a wheelchair and could not wheel himself up the ramp to the voting pole entrance. The Election Commission had posted signage pointing the direction to the voting poles from the left ramp entrance to the gym entrance. This was not an accessible entrance based on the slope of the ramp.
There was an accessible entrance at the front of the school but was not marked as such. ADA requires any entrance to be considered an emergency exit and must be handicap accessible. The engineer did not put specs for the sidewalk on the plans for the reconstruction of the gym. Don Wyatt with the county inspections office spoke with Larry Holcomb over the schools maintenance and assured us that this matter will be taken care of.”
A rezoning request on Georgetown Road at Hopewell Place from applicant Martin J. Fox was the only item placed on next week’s voting agenda. Presently, the property is zoned Rural Residential (R-1). The proposed zoning is General Commercial (C-2). The proposed use for the property is for storage building sales and display. The planning staff recommends approval of the rezoning request.
The Bradley County Commission will hold its next voting session meeting next Monday at 7 p.m.