You just have to love the Poor O'l Gals of the East Box. They build a ramp to serve the handicapped, likely so they can tear down their existing one for more parking or for an expansion of the East Box. They plunk it on the city sidewalk without a permit. They then want the city to give them the sidewalk forever, for free. Plus they want an agreement that says that the ramp need not meet the requirements of law regarding handicap ramps. (In other words the ramp need not be handicapped accessible!) All of this with a straight face!
What the Gals lack in charm and civic manners, they more than make up in greed and hubris.
Forget that they broke the law, that giving them the property for nothing breaks the law even more, and that all of it sets a terrible precedent that will cause problems for the city for years to come. What sense does it make for the city to approve a structure that is allegedly to serve the handicapped, but the builder will not warrant does so? And why should the city approve a ramp that is squatting on the city sidewalk, and in doing so, makes the sidewalk itself no longer compliant with the requirements of Americans with Disabilities act?
Take a look at the ramp, and a look at how, when you consider its proximity to the curb, the location of the street light (the orange cone) and the parking with vehicle bumpers overhanging the narrow remaining sidewalk, there is no reasonable room left for those in wheel chairs to traverse the narrow strip they have left for the public.
On Wednesday, January 31, once again the Gals will be at city hall with their lawyer in tow, and their hankies out, to present a tear filled plea to the council. Hopefully the council will muster enough votes to set things right.
Though it is unlikely they will be required to tear it down:
- They need to warrant that it is fully compliant with the ADA and that they will correct any deficiencies in that regard without taking more city property,
- There should be no free or perpetual easement - just a year to year license,
- There should be no blocking of the sidewalk by parked cars - the number of spaces lost in the street should be made up by them, for public use, in their own lot - or other barriers, and
- They should be required to bear all expenses incurred to date including staff time and any legal fees the city may have incurred in dealing with this stupidity.
It would be funny if it weren't so ....
True
3 comments:
Dear True,
Greed is so fascinating, matched only by hubris. The stuff of great novels as well as the decline and fall of civilizations.
You are so correct in naming the "East Box Ramp." The Gals, those Bellicose Belles, like Wal-Mart, just had to squeeze every ounce of blood out of the stone footprint.
I hope lotsa folks will show up at the city council meeting on Wednesday, or else will make their opinions known in letters or emails that can be documented if need be. In the past, emails to council have not been included in the official record but have sometimes been referred to disparagingly by council members.
One would like that everybody would just do the right thing or at least follow the super-majority will of the people.
But as our vision-advisors have told us, we can't count on that. The Disney developers don't really care about our community and the big-box bullies dare us to challenge their hubris.
A True Friend of Grand Marais
Got any ideas that don't require name calling to lend them credibility? Did you never leave the playground of your youth?
A truer friend of Grand Marais
True,
They are gambling on a Minnesota Nice reaction to thier "oops." That's my theory. The Gunflint Gals are savvy developers and they are hoping for forgiveness as they know permission would not be granted. It appears thier architect and other professionals were able to follow building rules and regs *except* for this.
I recall reading a newpaper article in which one of them stated they could put the handicapped entrance in the alley, but they didn't want it there.
If the final decision were up to me, I'd make them remove the non-ramp from the sidewalk, put it in the alley, and have them pay actual costs of attorney fees, etc to the City.
In my opinion this "ramp" is not an "oops we didn't know" but a "let's see if we can get away with this."
Val Littfin
Grand Marais
"They build a ramp to serve the handicapped, likely so they can tear down their existing one for more parking or for an expansion of the East Box. They plunk it on the city sidewalk without a permit. They then want the city to give them the sidewalk forever, for free. Plus they want an agreement that says that the ramp need not meet the requirements of law regarding handicap ramps. (In other words the ramp need not be handicapped accessible!) All of this with a straight face!" True
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