State Grants $100K for Jennings Beach Pavilion Upgrades

The Wednesday accepted a $100,000 STEAP grant to be used to increase handicap accessibility at Pavilion.

The state grant, which stands for Small Town Economic Assistance Program, will cover the purchase and materials for the project, which is four-fold, Director of Public Works Richard White said.

The four components of the project are:

• To increase the number of handicap parking spaces and constructing a handicap accessible pathway closer to the pavilion;
• To upgrade the men’s and women’s restrooms to bring them up to current ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) codes;
• To purchase high-density plastic boardwalk sections to allow handicap accessibility to the high-tide mark on the beach;
• To improve other, miscellaneous aspects of the pavilion and its surroundings (for example, constructing a lower concession counter for wheelchair-bound residents).

________________________________________________________________________________________

Want more Fairfield news along with events, blogs and more? Sign up for the free Fairfield Patch daily newsletter.

________________________________________________________________________________________

The total project cost is $135,400; the town’s $35,400 share covers the cost of labor and has been factored into Fiscal Year 2013 budget, White said. Construction will take approximately a month, according to STEAP grant documents.

“Our goal is to work on town facilities and make them accessible to everyone,” White said."

He cited the recent completion of the , a completely ADA-compliant facility, and the upgrades at to make that beach handicap accessible.