Handicapped Parking Unresolved Issue For Town Hall Project

Handicapped parking remains an issue for the Westborough Town Hall renovation and addition project, architect Brian Humes told selectmen Tuesday night.

The architects will continue working with department heads and the municipal building committee on this issue, Humes said during the board's site plan review public hearing.

Building Commissioner Tin Htway said the issue will be resolved before his department issues a building permit.

Selectmen approved the site plan, subject to the conditions recommended by the department heads in the decision.

Westborough Town Hall, at 34 West Main St., closed at the end of September, facilitating the project.

The building is expected to be closed 12 to 14 months for the project. A number of Westborough town offices have moved until the project ends. The list is on Westborough's website.

Voters at the March 16 annual town meeting approved the borrowing of $7,354,063 for the project, which is expected to take 12 to 14 months.

Humes said the town hall project is "not just any ordinary project. This is a symbol of your town."

"Restoring all of the cornice work" is part of the design, he said.

A handicapped accessible ramp will be added to the front of the building, Humes said. And the ramp's railings will be "replicating the railings that are across the street at the cemetery."

"So, now you have an architecturally appropriate railing, and tying the whole downtown and this district together with the cemetery across the street," he said.