Grants fund changes to provide better access for the disabled

By Gloria I. Wang

People with disabilities will have a slightly easier time navigating around town, thanks to grants issued by the Los Gatos Town Council in this fiscal year.

The council recently approved Community Development Block Grant allocations for 2002-2003, which includes $100,000 for making parts of town compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines.

Most of the money will fund the improvement of the Ross Creek pedestrian bridge on Camino Del Cerro. According to Los Gatos Parks and Public Works Director John Curtis, the footbridge currently has ramps that are steep and non-ADA compliant. Putting in new ramps will enable those using wheelchairs to access the bridge.

A staff report also indicates that at least one disabled person has been injured on those ramps in the past.

The remaining $10,000 will fund construction at Parking Lots 1 and 2, which are on University Avenue, near Los Gatos-Saratoga Road.

Jenny Miller, administrative analyst for the Los Gatos Community Service Department, says there will be new access ramps at those lots, and the sidewalks will be made level with the rest of the lot. Miller says that because of the existing curbs, the sidewalks are not accessible to wheelchair users.

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds come from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. In fiscal year 2002-2003, Los Gatos will receive $175,000--approximately $5,000 less than the previous year.

In addition to town improvements, the money was allocated to four nonprofit organizations: Catholic Charities of San Jose's Ombudsman Program, Live Oak Adult Day Services, San Jose State University Foundation's nursing facility and Second Harvest Food Bank's Operation Brown Bag for very low-income seniors.

Three other community service organizations, which had not received CDBG moneys from the town in the past, were recommended to look to the town's own Community Grant process for funding.

The Ross Creek and parking lot projects will get money that has been earmarked for "Housing and Other." In the past, those funds went into the town's Affordable Housing Fund. Although the town did not allocate any money for the fund this year, Miller says the fund comes from several different sources, including CDBG and the town's redevelopment agency.

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