Village Breaks Ground on ADA Graydon Ramp

Following three years of controversy and regulatory delays, construction began last week on a handicap accessible ramp into Graydon Pool.

Officials present for a groundbreaking event at the municipal pool Friday afternoon said the project, expected to be completed by winter in ample time for the beginning of Graydon’s 2014 season, will add to inclusiveness in the village.

“While I definitely think it took us way too long to get here, I’m glad we’re here,” Mayor Paul Aronsohn said. “This is going to make [Graydon] more inclusive, more welcoming.”

Opponents of the project, which meets requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act, had raised concerns that the ramp, approved last year by the council in a 3-2 vote, would alter the appearance of the historic facility and cause maintenance and safety issues.

The project also hit governmental delays, first when the state Department of Environmental of Protection’s Historic Preservation Office required review of the plans, then when the federal government shutdown delayed disbursal of grant funds from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Most of the roughly $48,0000 cost is being paid with grant funding, officials said.

Aronsohn on Friday credited state Sen. Kevin O’Toole (R-Cedar Grove), who represents Ridgewood and was on hand for the event, with helping push approval of the project through at the state level.

“We were worries this was just going to get lost in the bureaucracy,” the mayor said.

The state approved the work in September, giving the village the green light but requiring steps to preserve the 1920s pool’s historical character, like tinting the concrete to resemble surrounding sand.

Tweaks to the slope of the ramp were also made to keep to prevent it from potentially obstructing floodwaters.

The ramp proceeds toward the pool’s deep end at a gentle slope from the area of Graydon’s pavilion, explained Chris Rutishauser, the village’s engineer. The bottom, located near multiple lifeguard stations, gives entry into roughly two feet of water.

Patrons using the ramp will be able to remain in shallow water or, after consultation with staff, swim further out into the deep end, he said.