North Andover Wins $52K Grant To Conduct Accessibility Assessment

NORTH ANDOVER, MA — North Andover has received a $52,000 grant to hire a consultant and create an Americans with Disabilities Act self-evaluation and transition plan, according to the agenda for Monday's Select Board meeting.

The town is expected to hire a consultant to assess all municipal buildings and programs in North Andover's first such evaluation in town since 1993.

The funding comes from the Massachusetts Office on Disability's Municipal Americans with Disabilities Act grant program.

"In addition to this project being critical to the Town's efforts to make its facilities as accessible to as many people as possible, the completion of an updated ADA self-evaluation and transition plan is required for North Andover to remain a Housing Choice Community as designated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts," according to a memo from Andrew Shapiro, the town's director of community and economic development.

The state Housing Choice Community program provides grant funding and technical assistance to qualifying communities.

The Select Board will have to accept the funds.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.