BOYLE — A request for more accessible parking from a Boyle-based business has village councillors considering the broader accessibility of their downtown district.
During their Jan. 17 regular meeting, Village of Boyle councillors reviewed a request from ATB Financial’s facilities manager north Lynda Koot, who inquired about the possibility of designating an accessible parking spot near the front door of the Boyle branch on 3 Street.
“In many of our small villages and towns, we have been looking at the physical safety and security of our branches,” read Koot’s Jan. 9 email. She said the company is looking at restricting access to the back door of branches for emergency exits only, a decision that would impact client accessibility at the village location.
“Recently when I was in Boyle, I did a site visit and noted that currently with ATB’s parking lot being in the rear of the building, this is the only place in which there is a designated handicapped/accessible parking stall,” wrote Koot.
In the request for decision included in the agenda package, village CAO Warren Griffin noted only three designated accessible parking zones are indicated in Boyle’s traffic bylaw. An addition of one accessible stall would require an amendment to the bylaw, and Griffin suggested council consider any other areas in need of differently-abled parking zones while they’re at it.
After healthy discussion between all five members of council, a motion to defer amendments to the traffic bylaw for additional accessible parking stalls to an upcoming public works meeting was carried 5-0.
“Council is totally in agreeance with the concept of handicapped parking, that’s not even a question,” said Boyle Mayor Colin Derko. “Everybody’s totally 100 per cent on board, but let’s not jump into something and go, ‘Oh boy, we kinda screwed that.’”
Administration's recommendation came with another potential motion: that council direct admin to add ramps to any accessible stalls indicated in the traffic bylaw that don’t already have one.
“This is getting real expensive,” said Derko. “If we start putting para-ramps in front of every business at their request, I’m not just concerned about the cost of it — obviously cost is a thing because that’s taxpayers dollars — but I’m concerned about downtown parking.
“I’m almost certain that when the banks were built there, the back-alley parking was put there not because they wanted it, it was because they needed it because of the amount of parking in downtown,” he said.
“You look at places like Athabasca and Lac La Biche, they’ve been fighting tooth and nail to get parking in their downtown core, and we’re going to be taking it away,” Derko added.
Griffin noted the installation of one ramp on each side of 3rd Street would allow residents with mobility aids or difficulty stepping up greater access to all downtown businesses and facilities.
“Let’s do it right, and let’s do it with a plan,” said Derko, who added careful consideration with the aide of visual mock-ups would not only help current councillors to make a decision, but explain the vision to future councils, and individuals or businesses with subsequent requests.
