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APD digs in for disability remodel job By Myles Murphy Ashland Daily Tidings The Ashland Police Department - already one of the more secure buildings in the city - will reach a new level of safety with a remodeled lobby and installation of bulletproof glass. "Dispatchers are often here late at night when no one's around," APD Administrative Services Manager Linda Hoggett said. "Now they'll feel safer." With the present arrangement, visitors use a telephone to let dispatchers know they want in to the station before or after regular business hours. The dispatchers can then "buzz" them in to see an officer. Once inside, the entire police station is open to the guest, with only a 4-foot counter as a barrier. "Once they're in, there's no security," Hoggett said, "Anyone could just hop the counter." The $60,000 remodel will remove an existing lobby area, move the counter area forward about four feet, narrow it to about five or six feet wide, and install a strong safety glass window at the counter - which is now just open air. Another impetus for the changes is to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act. "ADA compliance is an issue the chief (APD Chief Scott Fleuter) had when he first cam here," Hoggett said. The 1992 national law requires cities build new facilities and buildings without architectural and communication barriers that restrict access by individuals with disabilities. Also, if a city remodels an existing building, it must also ensure that the altered portions are accessible. While the ADA does not require retrofitting of existing buildings to eliminate barriers, it does establish a high standard of accessibility for new buildings. In a 2001 settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, the city agreed to a number of ADA changes it would make, including the replacement of the Ashland Public Library, Fire Station No. 1 and the Oak Knoll Golf Course Pro Shop. Other recent or soon-to-be-completed ADA-related changes include: new bathrooms on the Calle Guanajuato; lowering many city counters such as those at Darex Ice Skating Rink and the Municipal Court ; improved access to the recycling center; improved access to various city bathrooms; and, improved access at city parks. The entire agreement is about 15 pages long, and includes a good-sized section on changes needed at the police station. The work will be done by Jacksonville-based contractor Eric Artner Construction. The work should take about three weeks, and will make it hard for all people - disable or not - to access the station for a while. Visitors will be forced to use a phone outside the front door to be allowed in, then follow a small path around the side of the building to a plain utility door, and then wait to be let in by someone inside. The process is expected to be a little frustrating for all involved. "Tell me about it," Hoggett said. "We all have to come in this way. We're just happy we had an extra door at all." While under construction, the station will not offer fingerprinting services for people who are required to be printed for their jobs or other reasons. Other police agencies in Jackson County can perform that service for those who need it in the interim, according to Hoggett. The work will begin either Monday or Tuesday. LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -