Introduction to the Sidewalk Master Plan & Public Facilities Access Audit
Project Goals:
- Inventory and Conditions Assessment of Sidewalks Within the City Limits
- ADA Inventory & Analysis of City Government Operated Buildings Accessible to the Public
- Downtown District Accessibility Analysis
- Provide Capital Planning Items for the ADA Transition Plan
Project Deliverables Include:
- Sidewalk Master Plan
- Government Buildings Accessibility Compliance Report
- Downtown District Project Priority List and Compliance Plan
- Consultation Services for an ADA Transition Plan
In 2001, The City of Georgetown commissioned HDR Architecture, Inc. to complete a sidewalk study and provide professional design recommendations for making Georgetown a “Pedestrian Friendly” city. The 2001 study provided an inventory of existing sidewalk conditions, ADA compliance verification of sidewalks, evaluation and criteria for proposed placement of sidewalks, prioritize proposed sidewalk routes, preliminary concepts designs for sidewalk projects and a list of projects within a $500,000 construction budget.
City of Georgetown Sidewalk Study-2001 (Chps 1-3)
City of Georgetown Sidewalk Study-2001 (Chps 4-6)
The 2014 Master Plan will serve as an update to the 2001 study, reflecting additions to the City’s sidewalk network, changes to land use and transportation needs, updates to ADA regulations and will highlight necessary public access improvements. The Sidewalk Master Plan will be a stand-alone document, serving as the primary sidewalk facility management plan with regulatory authority conferred by the City of Georgetown Unified Development Code (UDC). Findings from the Public Facilities Access Audit will inform the City’s ADA Transition Plan and provide a capital planning framework for public accessibility improvements.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted on July 26, 1990 and provides comprehensive rights and protections for individuals with disabilities in the areas of employment, public accommodations, state and local government services, and telecommunications. The ADA covers individuals with physical or mental impairments that substantially limit a major life activity, persons with a record of such impairment, and persons regarded or perceived as having such impairment. The law was designed to ensure that persons of all abilities have equality of opportunity, economic self-sufficiency, full participation in American life, and independent living.
The Title II regulations cover “public entities. Title II requires city governments to ensure that each of its programs, services and activities, when viewed in their entirety, are accessible to people with disabilities. This emphasis on access to programs, as opposed to access to buildings or facilities, distinguishes the requirements for public entities from those for private places of public accommodation.The City of Georgetown is committed to ensuring that its programs, services and activities are accessible to persons with disabilities in compliance with Title II. The City of Georgetown will not discriminate on the basis of disability regarding employment and services or programs provided by the municipality. Additionally, the City of Georgetown will inform individuals that reasonable accommodation will be provided and that protections against discrimination are provided by the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The two guiding principles for the master planning process are for efforts to be collaborative and iterative. The project team will make every effort to facilitate information exchange between all stakeholders including City staff, residents of Georgetown, elected officials, the business community and related agencies such as Georgetown Independent School District, Williamson County, TXDOT etc. The master planning process will use meetings, open houses and media to promote project collaboration. Meeting and public engagements will be documented and the feedback gathered from those meetings will be incorporated into planning efforts. The project team will return results to the participants during follow up meetings ensuring multiple opportunities for input and consensus; building an iterative input and feedback project cycle.
Detailed engagement strategies are included in the Public and Government Participation Plan Page(s).
Project Planning efforts began in March of 2014 and will culminate with adoption by City Council in the 1st quarter of 2015. The first project open house will be held Tuesday September 30th from 5:30pm-7:30pm at City Council Chambers, 101 E. Seventh St.
The purpose of the Open House is to gather input and buy-in from the public regarding existing conditions and future needs.
