Handicap Accessible Park
Comfort Station Dedicated
Community Access for All Committee dedicated
the new comfort station in Woodland Park on August 5, 2007.
The new brick comfort station is fully handicap
accessible with extra wide doors, mobility space for wheelchairs,
oversized stalls and new safety lighting.
The facility also has baby changing stations.
The rear of the building has storage facilities for senior
and sports activities.
The original wooden comfort station was put
up by the Hasbrouck Heights Lions Club about 85 years ago.
It was dismantled by the DPW at a savings of about $6,000.
In addition to making Woodland Park more handicap
accessible, a new drop off at the parking lot and ramp to
the pavilion with new drainage, was also constructed.
The project to make Woodland Park more handicap
accessible was started a couple of years ago by Patrick McCarthy
and Eric Bischoff.
The cost for the comfort station and ramp
package was $188,000. It was funded by a $116,800 NJ State
Community Development Grant; the grants person was Rose Marie
Heck. The Borough provided the balance.
Community Access for All is a grass-roots,
non-political Hasbrouck Heights organization dedicated to
improving handicap access. Its charter allows for 19 members
and states that 25% have to be disabled or caretaker of a
disabled person.
According to President Patrick McCarthy, its
goal is to improve accessibility through awareness. He cites
this Woodland Park example that began last year. Typical picnic
tables are not wheelchair accessible. With awareness and at
no additional cost, picnic tables that accommodate wheelchairs
at each end, are now purchased when they need to be replaced.
For more information about Community Access
for All in Hasbrouck Heights, call the Borough Clerk’s
office at 201-288-0195.
Communities interested is starting a similar
program should contact Jim Thebery, Director of Disability
Service for Bergen County at 201-336-6509. ###
