GARNETT — A Garnett man who has pushed the city of Garnett to comply with federal ADA handicapped-accessibility rules says the city’s plan doesn’t go far enough. Because of complaints by Richard Volz, federal regulators have pushed the city to comply with Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines. The city has redone sidewalks and entrances downtown and has been redoing other sidewalks A contractor has been working on a sidewalk on Park Road from Oak Street to Casey’s General Store, on the north side of the city. Volz told the Anderson County Review that because Park Road is so busy, sidewalks are needed from senior housing complexes, which are near Oak street, all the way to U.S. 59, which has a grocery story and several restaurants near the Park Road intersection. City manager Joyce Martin said the city won’t build a sidewalk along Park Road all the way to U.S. 59 in the near future. A survey done by city staff shows that more than 95 percent of the residents at the senior housing complexes say they don’t want a sidewalk to U.S. 59, she said. They were more interested in having a sidewalk just as far Casey’s, which is what the city is doing, she said. Volz disagreed. He also said the city has not followed through with its own plan to improve sidewalks along U.S. 59 from First Street to Park Road. Martin said plans to improve the sidewalks along the highway were pushed back, in part because the city changed the plans for a crosswalk at First and Maple streets. (Maple Street is U.S. 59 in Garnett.) Instead, the city will move the crosswalk farther north, near Redbud Street. That will require a cooperative effort with the Kansas Department of Transportation, she said.
Monday, Dec. 5, 10 a.m.
