Noticed a lack of wheelchair ramps at a new coffee shop in Fresno

I stopped by a new spot on Blackstone last Saturday. They did a nice interior remodel but the front door still has a 6 inch step with no ramp. I saw a guy in a chair have to go around back through the alley to get in. It made me wonder if ADA rules even get checked before places open for business around here. Has anyone else run into this with newer businesses in the Central Valley?

2 comments

2 Comments

amy97518d ago

Wow that's messed up. I get that old buildings can be tricky but a brand new remodel should have caught that. Did you happen to see if they had a temporary ramp or anything out back for that guy?

wright.kevin18d ago

You brought up a good point about a temp ramp out back. I've seen that same situation play out in a few older buildings during my time in real estate. Usually, if the remodel was done right, they should have filed for a variance or at least put in a temporary solution while they worked it out with the city. I'd bet that back entrance was probably not accessible at all, which is a separate issue. These old properties can be grandfathered in on some codes, but a full remodel usually triggers the need to bring everything up to current ADA standards. It's disappointing when a crew skips that step, especially for someone who clearly needed it.