CARITAS ALEGRE ADULT DAY CARE

Issue: Providing an accessible entrance generally used by the public.

Analysis: The applicant is requesting a waiver from providing an accessible main entrance to a facility comprised of four bays totaling 3,820 square feet. One, 1,000 square foot bay is being converted to an adult day care center and the applicant indicates it would cost $34,762 to install a ramp system to the entrance. The existing sidewalk at the front of the building is not accessible and there is an existing utility pole that would obstruct an accessible route. There is also insufficient room to construct a single run 18 foot ramp. The scope of the alteration is $11,762 without consideration of the ramp. According to the applicant there are no walk in clients; appointments are scheduled in advance and van service picks up clients and delivers them to the rear of the facility, which has an accessible entrance.

Project Progress:

The project is in plan review.

Items to be Waived:

An accessible entrance to the building, as required by Section 11-4.1.3(8)( iii).

11-4.1.3(8)(iii) An accessible entrance must be provided to each tenancy in a facility (for example, individual stores in a strip shopping center). One entrance may be considered as meeting ore than one of the requirements in Section 11-4.1.3(8)(a) Where feasible, accessible entrances shall be the entrances used by the majority of people visiting or working in the building.

Waiver Criteria: There is no specific guidance for a waiver of this requirement in the code. The Commission’s current rule, authorized in Section 553.512, Florida Statutes, provides criteria for granting waivers and allows consideration of unnecessary or extreme hardship to the applicant if the specific requirements were imposed.