BHAC Nixes Curb-cut Plan

Beacon Hill Architectural Commission unanimously denied an application from the city’s Public Works Department for the proposed design for curb cuts in the Historic Beacon Hill District on Nov. 15.

In existing concrete sidewalks, the application outlined plans to construct ramps using standard, un-tinted concrete and to adorn them with brick-red tactile strips made of a composite material. While the landing areas would be built of concrete when the top slope is more than 4 feet from a building or garden edge, the landing areas would be constructed of wire cut brick when the top slope is less than that length from a building or garden edge, according to the application.

“The city recognizes the unique physical conditions of Beacon Hill, which make achieving greater accessibility a particular challenge,” Boston Public Works Chief of Staff Matthew Mayres wrote in the application. “At this time, the Public Works Department does not have specific locations in which it would proposed utilizing this design.”

Since March 15 of this year, the city has been required to provide curb cuts for people with mobility disabilities at streets intersections at all sidewalks per the 2010 Department of Justice’s Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)/Architectural Barriers Act Accessibility Guidelines (2010 ADA Guidelines).

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