Drummond: Making Yorba Linda ADA compliant comes with a big price tag

A price tag totaling some $444 million has been estimated by a Yorba Linda-hired consultant to put the city into full compliance with portions of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.

But fortunately for city taxpayers, there is no federal requirement that mandates removal of barriers to persons with disabilities on a specific timeline, and there are many exceptions to completing barrier-removal projects, including concerns related to cost and feasibility.

The American with Disabilities Act, passed by Congress in 1990, has several provisions that involve access to the many programs and services provided by state and local governments.

Yorba Linda’s City Council recently adopted a citywide transition plan required by the act, which will allow the city to remain eligible for various federal funding programs, according to a report prepared by Rick Yee, the city’s acting public works director.

The transition plan was developed by Burbank-based Sally Swanson Architects, and a 24-page portion of the plan identifies physical obstacles in city public rights-of-way which limit access by individuals with disabilities.

A survey of 43 city facilities found some 2,015 different accessibility related barriers. The plan estimated the financial cost to mitigate the barriers to be approximately $10.6 million.

Surveys also involved sidewalks, curb ramps and pedestrian signals, which also included other standards, such as state building codes and federal transportation requirements, in addition to the Americans with Disabilities Act provisions.

Some 254 sidewalk miles were surveyed, with 81.5 miles found compliant, and the cost to mitigate barriers estimated at $409 million. Of 4,229 curb ramps surveyed, six were found compliant, with mitigation estimated at $21.5 million. None of 417 pedestrian signals were found compliant, with an estimated $3.1 million cost to mitigate.

According to Yee’s report, the city has been spending about $1 million annually on sidewalk, curb ramp and minor facility upgrades, along with including a budget for accommodations in major capital projects.

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Enrollment applications are now available on the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District website for the Orange County School of Computer Science charter school to open in August for seventh and eighth grade students on the Bernardo Yorba Middle School campus.

And despite a 5-0 denial vote by Placentia-Yorba Linda trustees, the California Republic Leadership Academy Yorba Linda charter was approved for a site to be determined on a 3-0 vote by the Orange County Board of Education.

Placentia-Yorba Linda officials had opposed the board’s action at a prior public hearing.

The academy has asked parents to sign a document indicating they are “meaningfully interested” in enrolling students so the charter can seek “reasonably equivalent school facilities” from the district under state law.

Jim Drummond is a longtime Yorba Linda resident. He gives his opinion on local issues weekly. Send e-mail to jimdrummond@hotmail.com.