Conerns have been expressed over a lack of handrails in the new West Fraser Centre in Quesnel.
The North Cariboo Joint Planning Committee received a letter on Tuesday night and similar sentiments have been expressed on social media.
Jeff Norburn, the Director of Community Services, noted that the option most people are asking, for which is a railing down the center, just isn’t practical…
“The building wasn’t designed for it, the width isn’t there building code wise to have a central railing down those stairwells, so we are looking at other options.”
Norburn says those options include high visibility tape or painting yellow strips down the middle to differentiate the different stairs.
He says the city has put up signage to indicate that some seats are for seniors or people with a disability.
Norburn says they will continue to consider changes.
Councillor Ron Paull had another suggestion…
“As staff is moving though this i would like you to look at simply having a post at the end of maybe the top two, three, possibly four rows of seats. Steel posts right beside the end seat with about a 6 inch hand grab on the top.”
Councillor Ed Coleman had an idea that was inspired by the Olympics…
“The Olympic stadium had kind of a rounded thing at the end of every single row of seats and you could see people transitioning from one to the other. They don’t obstruct but they’re a big enough loop that you can hold onto it while you’re waiting for someone to get by.”
Norburn says this was not a budget cut saying that it was not part of the design, adding that design of these facilities has not caught up with demographics.
Mayor Bob Simpson noted that it’s going to take a season to settle in and figure some of things out.
He says they are still in transition and that they will look at more options once the ice is off.