The Town of Barrhead needs to come up with a better plan to address the parking needs of those with physical and/or mobility challenges on Main Street.
That was the consensus of councillors after a 15-minute debate on whether or not they should accept a request from Peoples Pharmacy asking the municipality to reserve two spots in front of their store for accessible parking.
Which is why at their Dec. 8 meeting, councillors instructed administration to draft a parking plan for Main Street, as part of the planning process for its Main Street revitalization project.
In late September, councillors unanimously accepted a proposal from the public works department to use the $544,302 the municipality has been allotted as part of the province's Municipal Stimulus Program (MSP) to rehabilitate Main Street as well as graveling a one-block section of 45th Street. They would change the latter proposal to asphalt.
"Several of our patients are elderly with limited mobility," Suki Famobio from Peoples Pharmacy stated in an e-mail. "It can be quite challenging to find a parking space on Main Street during certain times of the day. Hence, it would serve these clients well to have these options right in front of the store."
Coun. Don Smith kicked off the discussion by moving that they accept the request. He would later withdraw the motion.
Coun. Rod Klumph said he could not support the request.
"Handicap parking stalls are larger than regular spots because you need more room to accommodate lifts, wheelchairs and other equipment," he said.
He added he worried that if they granted the request, it would set a precedent, noting there are two other pharmacies on Main Street.
"What you do for one you have to do for the others. It is already difficult to find parking on the street," Klumph said, adding by taking a minimum of six parking stalls out of the mix it would only compound the problem. "What happens if they don't get there until 2 p.m. and those stalls remain empty the rest of the time? I am thinking about our residents who are driving up and down the street looking for parking saying, ‘what are they thinking?’"
Coun. Ty Assaf said the extra space isn't the only issue, noting they would have to lower the slope to the street level so that people using wheelchairs, scooters and walkers could access the sidewalk.
He also suggested that the pharmacy has its own private parking at the back of the store that could be converted to accessible parking.
Admittedly, Assaf said if the building was not accessible from the back, it would not be a feasible solution.
However, Coun. Shelly Oswald reminded councillors that in the spring or summer they hope to begin the Main Street rehabilitation project and any work needed to add accessible parking stalls could be easily be accommodated.
She then asked how many accessible parking spots there were on Main Street and where they were located.
Planning and legislative services director replied there were no accessible parking spots on Main Street but there were four located on adjacent avenues.
Mayor Dave McKenzie interjected this is because accessible parking spots work better in parallel parking situations rather than the angled spots on Main Street.
"If there are ramps, lifts and the like on vehicles, they are better to offload onto the sidewalk and it is a safer location generally," he said.
McKenzie said while it might seem that there is a lack of accessible parking spots, there are other spots available in the downtown area as part of bank parking lots.
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
