Work is underway on Vestal School as crews improve accessibility at the nearly 100-year-old educational facility. Portland Public Schools (PPS) is expanding and reconfiguring the parking area to include more accessible parking spaces and create a new main-level entrance ramp. When completed, people returning to Vestal School after the summer break will have 50 striped parking stalls with three accessible spaces conveniently placed near the building’s accessible entrance.
The original parking configuration accommodated approximately 31 vehicles in striped stalls, two of which were reserved accessible parking spaces. However, cars often park within the playground area when the lot fills up. “The paved area just to the south of the striped stalls was also used for parking but had no striping,” explained Valerie Feder, Director of Media Relations for PPS.
The updates are part of the 2020 Bond Project that, among other PPS improvements, adds Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant access to district properties. Project designers shifted Vestal’s parking lot’s entry westward away from the reserved parking stalls, allowing accessible parking users safe access to the building. Crews removed 100 feet of chainlink fence that had marked the former edge of the parking lot and constructed a new fence to the south. Expanding the parking lot boundary will properly separate vehicle access from the playground while providing sufficient parking for staff and visitors.
Cement masons will pour a concrete path diagonally across the northwest corner of the north-side lawn allowing level access for people to travel around to the back ramp, which is also under construction. This project aims to increase accessibility and student safety while maintaining the classic appearance of the school building. Expect construction to continue into August as crews work to add these needed improvements.
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