Black Diamond town office stairs to get overhaul

The Town of Black Diamond Municipal Office will be a little easier to reach in the new year. 

Town council approved the reconstruction of the stairs and wheelchair ramp leading to the front doors of the Town’s office, which have fallen into disrepair as outlined in a report to council by Black Diamond CAO Sharlene Brown. 

The stairs and ramp were initially part of a larger overhaul for the building, but as it was presented to council, there was the acknowledgement from administration that it would run well over budget for the timeframe.  

The option was presented to break it into phases, with the stairs and ramp coming first to bring them up to code.  

A motion was put forward by Coun. Sharon Hart to adopt the phased approach, and council carried the motion unanimously to go forward with it. 

“The stairs needed to be redone for a long, long time,” said Brown. “They're not really in good condition.

“They pose a health and safety risk not only to staff, but to residents, and the wheelchair ramp is not to code.” 

Brown said the current walkway was built in 1982, with little maintenance done since. 

"Because the ramp is not in very good condition, anybody that has some accessibility issues would be challenged to get into the front doors,” she said, adding that this would cause issues for not only wheelchairs, but anybody with a scooter, walker, stroller, or other mobility aid. 

"We've put some temporary fixes into the cracks in the concrete, but they're not holding and they're not stable.” 

The current ramp, which does not meet current Government of Alberta code, needs to be lengthened to reduce the steepness of the slope. 

Brown added that if the Town wished to relocate their offices and sell the building, the current paving could affect the Town’s ability to sell the building or the price they would get for it. 

She said construction will start as early as possible in the spring.