Village Hall Moves Closer To ADA Compliance
The Garden City Board of Trustees, in a 7 to 1 vote at their October 16th meeting, approved a bond resolution in the amount of $2,601,500 so improvements to Village Hall can move forward.
Besides improvements to police headquarters and the fire department roof, the money will also cover the cost of construction and installation of a Village Hall elevator. The elevator will help bring the building closer to compliancy with the American Disabilities Act.
Preliminary plans indicate the elevator will be located in the front of the building and run from the basement to the second floor. The architects will make some design adjustments to ensure that the elevator blends in as much as possible with current building architecture.
Trustee John Watras was the only one opposed to the resolution. Emphasizing that he is not against the physically challenged and mentioning his involvement with the Hagedorn Little Village School, Jack Joel Center for Special Children in Seaford, Watras said that he voted against the resolution because he believes all Village Hall functions should be moved to the historic Main Building at St. Paul's.
Resident Morton Yuter urged the Board not to spend money on Village Hall improvements until after they decide what to do with the St. Paul's historic Main Building. Yuter has advocated moving Village Hall to St. Paul's, and holds out hope that his idea will one day come to fruition.
Village Auditor James Olivo explained that the bond sales will most likely not occur until the spring at the earliest due to the current unfavorable market conditions. "Permanent financing can be done any time within the first five years of a bond resolution's life," he explained. "It requires some down payments each year."
