UPDATE: Attached document now includes Map A: Village-owned parcels.

By Paula Pyzik Scott

This week the Village of Bluffton Council will hold a second reading on a resolution to adopt an Americans with Disabilities Acts (ADA) Transition Plan (DRAFT HERE) for the Village. The 29-page document was prepared for Bluffton by the Lima/Allen County Regional Planning Commission.

The plan provides an outline of barrier removal priorities and a schedule for implementation. An opportunity for public comments and complaints are also provided.

Appendices A-F are listed as an inventory, a response form, ODOT design specifications, an ADA policy statement, public notice information and a map of Village owned parcels (map forthcoming).

In the inventory, locations are rated 1-5 with 5=Excellent, 4=Good, 3=Fair, 2=Poor, 1=Failing. In the June 2024 update to this inventory no locations are listed as Poor or Failing.

The village evaluation of pedestrian facilities shows

• Some 25 miles of 4’-5’ wide sidewalk
• 27 curb ramps
• 9 miles of walk/bike path
• 2 ADA-compliant traffic signals
• 3 pedestrian-activated Rapid Rectangular Flashing Beacons at crosswalks

At the time the report was finalized in Deceember 2023, about 125 ramps needed work to become ADA compliant.

The report estimates that less than 5% of sidewalks in the village are in substandard condition.

The Village of Bluffton has budgeted $25,000 annual for sidewalk improvements and has a 5-10 year plan for ADA street improvements.

PUBLIC COMMENTS AND CONCERNS
Mayor Richard Johnson and Jesse Blackburn, Coordinator of the Village of Bluffton ADA Transition Plan, are soliciting public comments and concerns regarding the ADA Transition Plan and pedestrian facilities within the public rights-of-way. Residents are encouraged to participate in the identification of obstacles and the ongoing improvement of public rights-of-ways within the Village of Bluffton.

Blackburn can be reached for comment by telephone at 419-358- 2066 or by email at [email protected]. Grievance procedures require the use of this form, also available at https://www.bluffton-ohio.com/and at the Bluffton Town Hall, 154 N. Main Street, Bluffton, Ohio 45817.