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BOOK 99 WE C. 3rd Quarter Suggestion Awards Presentation The Board reviewed a Memorandum and an Editorial from the Press—Journal: Indian River County Public Works Department Engineering Technician Chip Boyette, a three year employee, found a creative way to comply with Federal ADA accessibility requirements. Indian River County is planning improvements to Round Island Park, west of SR A IA. The improvements include an observation tower to view environmentally sensitive land. Federal standards for accessible design require installing an elevator costing approximately $70,000 to make the 28 -foot tower accessible to the handicapped. Chip first thought of using a periscope to avoid the cost of the elevator, but even the cost of the periscope would have been too much. Then came the camera idea, mounted above the observation deck, it could pan the Intracoastal Waterway and transmit the image to a monitor belowk vt.�� t3, 1s o o) Chip appealed to the Board of Building Codes and Standards at a hearing in September and after two meetings in Orlando, the Board waived the American Disabilities Act Requirement and is allowing the video system to substitute for the elevator. Clutch. Thinking It's a waste for people to spend their time thinking. It would be the only observation point of its kind in of creative ways to get around federal restrictions the state with a video camera. Instead of doing their jobs, but it's good to know that But the Accessibility Advisory Committee under when the chips are down. the taxpayers have people- the Department of Community Affairs said it wasn't working for them who can deliver. : good enough. y A case In point involves Indian River County engi- neering technician Chip Boyette, who thought to in- It looked as if the tower project would have to be stall a video. camera and monitor at the county's abandoned planned Round Island observation tower to give dia. Then, the state Board of Building Codes and Stan- abled people access to the view. dards last week waived the American Disabilities Boyette said'he was staring at his office computer.. Act requirement and allowed the video system to screen when the idea came to him. substitute for the elevator. If the taxpaying public were nearby, it would have ' It was a good decision. After all, the American yelled "Eureka" for him. Disabilities Act is all about accommodating people. Had he not thought of it, the observation tower Efforts to allow disabled people to conduct busi- planned for Round Island, west of State Road AlA ness or enjoy public areas are important, and so - near the St. Lucie County border, probably would ciety must do whatever it reasonably can for the not be built. benefit of its handicapped citizens. It would have cost at least $70,000 to build an el- evator to make the 28 -foot structure accessible to. Unfortunately, efforts to balance public and spe- the handicapped in accordance with the Americans cial-interest rights are dividing the nation, as a se - ries running in the Press Journal shows. with Disabilities Act. The camera and monitor will cost about 3;800. Scholars and public -policy analysts said the coun- and Terry Thompson, capital projects capital try's obsession with rights has sectioned people into manager, manager, first thought of using a periscope to avoid Interest groups more concerned with their own cthan the common good the cost the elevator and the problems !t could have caused ed with environmentally sensitive land, But when regulations become so cumbersome which was yet another bugaboo that would have they prevent public improvements, there has to be been in the tower's way. an accommodation in the other direction, toward But even a- periscope would have cost too much to common sense. build. The key word is "reasonable." For an observation Then came the camera idea. Mounted above the tower in Indian River County, a video system is a observation deck. It could pan the Intracoastal Wa- reasonable way to accommodate the disabled; an el- terway and transmit the image to a monitor below. evator that would double the project costs is not. NOVEMBER 19, 1996 4