[Mee-n-Mac]

Originally Posted by MJM

The thing I worry about is "what's next?". Is the designation just the first step? Next will the town will be required to install lifts, special ramps, docks of a different material, etc......? Scary.

A good question and here's what I could find out ...

(from http://www.access-board.gov/adaag/html/adaag.htm )

15.2 Boating Facilities.

15.2.1 General. Newly designed or newly constructed and altered boating facilities shall comply with 15.2.

15.2.2* Accessible Route. Accessible routes, including gangways that are part of accessible routes, shall comply with 4.3. Appendix Note

EXCEPTION 1. Where an existing gangway or series of gangways is replaced or altered, an increase in the length of the gangway is not required to comply with 15.2.2, unless required by 4.1.6(2).

EXCEPTION 2. The maximum rise specified in 4.8.2 shall not apply to gangways.

EXCEPTION 3. Where the total length of the gangway or series of gangways serving as part of a required accessible route is at least 80 feet (24 m), the maximum slope specified in 4.8.2 shall not apply to the gangways.

EXCEPTION 4. In facilities containing fewer than 25 boat slips and where the total length of the gangway or series of gangways serving as part of a required accessible route is at least 30 feet (9140 mm), the maximum slope specified in 4.8.2 shall not apply to the gangways.

EXCEPTION 5. Where gangways connect to transition plates, landings specified by 4.8.4 shall not be required.

EXCEPTION 6. Where gangways and transition plates connect and are required to have handrails, handrail extensions specified by 4.8.5 shall not be required. Where handrail extensions are provided on gangways or transition plates, such extensions are not required to be parallel with the ground or floor surface.

EXCEPTION 7. The cross slope of gangways, transition plates, and floating piers that are part of an accessible route shall be 1:50 maximum measured in the static position.

EXCEPTION 8. Limited-use/limited-application elevators or platform lifts complying with 4.11 shall be permitted in lieu of gangways complying with 4.3.

15.2.3* Boat Slips: Minimum Number. Where boat slips are provided, boat slips complying with 15.2.5 shall be provided in accordance with Table 15.2.3. Where the number of boat slips is not identified, each 40 feet (12 m) of boat slip edge provided along the perimeter of the pier shall be counted as one boat slip for the purpose of this section. Appendix Note

Table 15.2.3
Total Boat Slips in Facility Minimum Number of Required
Accessible Boat Slips
1 to 25 -> 1
26 to 50 -> 2
51 to 100 -> 3
101 to 150 -> 4
151 to 300 -> 5
301 to 400 -> 6
401 to 500 -> 7
501 to 600 -> 8
601 to 700 -> 9
701 to 800 -> 10
801 to 900 -> 11
901 to 1000 -> 12
1001 and over -> 12, plus 1 for each 100 or fraction thereof over 1000

15.2.3.1* Dispersion. Accessible boat slips shall be dispersed throughout the various types of slips provided. This provision does not require an increase in the minimum number of boat slips required to be accessible. Appendix Note

15.2.4* Boarding Piers at Boat Launch Ramps. Where boarding piers are provided at boat launch ramps, at least 5 percent, but not less than one of the boarding piers shall comply with 15.2.4 and shall be served by an accessible route complying with 4.3. Appendix Note

EXCEPTION 1. Accessible routes serving floating boarding piers shall be permitted to use exceptions 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, and 8 in 15.2.2.

EXCEPTION 2. Where the total length of the gangway or series of gangways serving as part of a required accessible route is at least 30 feet (9140 mm), the maximum slope specified by 4.8.2 shall not apply to the gangways.

EXCEPTION 3. Where the accessible route serving a floating boarding pier or skid pier is located within a boat launch ramp, the portion of the accessible route located within the boat launch ramp shall not be required to comply with 4.8.

15.2.4.1* Boarding Pier Clearances. The entire length of the piers shall comply with 15.2.5. Appendix Note

15.2.5* Accessible Boat Slips. Accessible boat slips shall comply with 15.2.5. Appendix Note

15.2.5.1 Clearances. Accessible boat slips shall be served by clear pier space 60 inches (1525 mm) wide minimum and at least as long as the accessible boat slips. Every 10 feet (3050 mm) maximum of linear pier edge serving the accessible boat slips shall contain at least one continuous clear opening 60 inches (1525 mm) minimum in width (see Fig. 59).

EXCEPTION 1: The width of the clear pier space shall be permitted to be 36 inches (915 mm) minimum for a length of 24 inches (610 mm) maximum, provided that multiple 36 inch (915mm) wide segments are separated by segments that are 60 inches (1525 mm) minimum clear in width and 60 inches (1525 mm) minimum clear in length. (see Fig. 60)

EXCEPTION 2: Edge protection 4 inches (100 mm) high maximum and 2 inches (51mm) deep maximum shall be permitted at the continuous clear openings. (see Fig. 61)

EXCEPTION 3*: In alterations to existing facilities, clear pier space shall be permitted to be located perpendicular to the boat slip and shall extend the width of the boat slip, where the facility has at least one boat slip complying with 15.2.5, and further compliance with 15.2.5 would result in a reduction in the number of boat slips available or result in a reduction of the widths of existing slips. Appendix Note

15.2.5.2 Cleats and Other Boat Securement Devices. Cleats and other boat securement devices shall not be required to comply with 4.27.3.

And here's the appendix to help interpret the rules ...

A15.2 Boating Facilities.

A15.2.2 Accessible Route. The following two examples apply exceptions two and three.

Example 1. Boat slips which are required to be accessible are provided at a floating pier. The vertical distance an accessible route must travel to the pier when the water is at its lowest level is six feet, although the water level only fluctuates three feet. To comply with exceptions 2 and 3, at least one design solution would provide a gangway at least 72.25 feet long which ensures the slope does not exceed 1:12.

Example 2. A gangway is provided to a floating pier which is required to be on an accessible route. The vertical distance is 10 feet between the elevation where the gangway departs the landside connection and the elevation of the pier surface at the lowest water level. Exceptions 2 and 3, which modify 4.8.2, permit the gangway to be at least 80 feet long. Another design solution would be to have two 40-foot plus continuous gangways joined together at a float, where the float (as the water level falls) will stop dropping at an elevation five feet below the landside connection.

A15.2.3 Boat Slips: Minimum Number. Accessible boat slips are not "reserved" for persons with disabilities in the same manner as accessible vehicle parking spaces. Rather, accessible boat slip use is comparable to accessible hotel rooms. The Department of Justice is responsible for addressing operational issues relating to the use of accessible facilities and elements. The Department of Justice currently advises that hotels should hold accessible rooms for persons with disabilities until all other rooms are filled. At that point, accessible rooms can be open for general use on a first come, first serve basis.

The following two examples apply to a boating facility with a single non-demarcated pier.

Example 1. A site contains a new boating facility which consists of a single 60-foot pier. Boats are only moored parallel with the pier on both sides to allow occupants to embark or disembark. Since the number of slips cannot be identified, section 15.2.3 requires each 40 feet of boat slip edge to be counted as one slip for purposes of determining the number of slips available and determines the number required to be accessible. The 120 feet of boat slip edge at the pier would equate with 3 boat slips. Table 15.2.3 would require 1 slip to be accessible and comply with 15.2.5. Section 15.2.5 (excluding the exceptions within the section) requires a clear pier space 60 inches wide minimum extending the length of the slip. In this example, because the pier is at least 40 feet long, the accessible slip must contain a clear pier space at least 40 feet long which has a minimum width of 60 inches.

Example 2. A new boating facility consisting of a single pier 25 feet long and 3 feet wide is being planned for a site. The design intends to allow boats to moor and occupants to embark and disembark on both sides, and at one end. As the number of boat slips cannot be identified, applying section 15.2.3 would translate to 53 feet of boat slip edge at the pier. This equates with two slips. Table 15.2.3 would require 1 slip to be accessible. To comply with 15.2.5 (excluding the exceptions within the section), the width of the pier must be increased to 60 inches. Neither 15.2.3 or 15.2.5 requires the pier length to be increased to 40 feet.

A15.2.3.1 Dispersion. Types of boat slips are based on the size of the boat slips; whether single berths or double berths, shallow water or deep water, transient or longer-term lease, covered or uncovered; and whether slips are equipped with features such as telephone, water, electricity and cable connections. The term "boat slip" is intended to cover any pier area where recreational boats embark or disembark, unless classified as a launch ramp boarding pier. For example, a fuel pier may contain boat slips, and this type of short term slip would be included in determining compliance with 15.2.3.1.

A15.2.4 Boarding Piers at Boat Launch Ramps. The following two examples apply to a boat launch ramp boarding pier.

Example 1. A chain of floats is provided on a launch ramp to be used as a boarding pier which is required to be accessible by 15.2.4. At high water, the entire chain is floating and a transition plate connects the first float to the surface of the launch ramp. As the water level decreases, segments of the chain end up resting on the launch ramp surface, matching the slope of the launch ramp. As water levels drop, segments function also as gangways because one end of a segment is resting on the launch ramp surface and the other end is connecting to another floating segment in the chain.

Under ADAAG 4.1.2(2), an accessible route must serve the last float because it would function as the boarding pier at the lowest water level. Under exception 3 in 15.2.4, each float is not required to comply with ADAAG 4.8, but must meet all other requirements in ADAAG 4.3, unless exempted by exception 1 in 15.2.4. In this example, because the entire chain also functions as a boarding pier, the entire chain must comply with the requirements of 15.2.5, including the 60-inch minimum clear pier width provision.

Example 2. A non-floating boarding pier supported by piles divides a launching area into two launch ramps and is required to be accessible. Under ADAAG 4.1.2(2), an accessible route must connect the boarding pier with other accessible buildings, facilities, elements, and spaces on the site. Although the boarding pier is located within a launch ramp, because the pier is not a floating pier or a skid pier, none of the exceptions in 15.2.4 apply. To comply with ADAAG 4.3, either the accessible route must run down the launch ramp or the fixed boarding pier could be relocated to the side of the two launch ramps. The second option leaves the slope of the launch ramps unchanged, because the accessible route runs outside the launch ramps.

A15.2.4.1 Boarding Pier Clearances. The guidelines do not establish a minimum length for accessible boarding piers at boat launch ramps. The accessible boarding pier would have a length which is at least equal to other boarding piers provided at the facility. If no other boarding pier is provided, the pier would have a length equal to what would have been provided if no access requirements applied. The entire length of accessible boarding piers would be required to comply with the same technical provisions that apply to accessible boat slips. For example, at a launch ramp, if a 20-foot long accessible boarding pier is provided, the entire 20 feet must comply with the pier clearance requirements in 15.2.5. Likewise, if a 60-foot long accessible boarding pier is provided, the pier clearance requirements in 15.2.5 would apply to the entire 60 feet.

A15.2.5 Accessible Boat Slips. Although the minimum width of the clear pier space is 60 inches, it is recommended that piers be wider than 60 inches to improve the safety for persons with disabilities, particularly on floating piers.

A15.2.5.1 Clearances, Exception 3. Where the conditions in exception 3 are satisfied, existing facilities are only required to have one accessible boat slip with a pier clearance which runs the length of the slip. All other accessible slips are allowed to have the required pier clearance at the head of the slip. Under this exception, at piers with perpendicular boat slips, the width of most "finger piers" will remain unchanged. However, where mooring systems for floating piers are replaced as part of pier alteration projects, an opportunity may exist for increasing accessibility. Piers may be reconfigured to allow an increase in the number of wider finger piers, and serve as accessible boat slips.

Note my bolding added to A15.2.3. Seems to me that if the slips "reserved" are of sufficient width and with proper ramps and deck material then they are compliant. Then when the docks are full, the "handicapped" slips can be used by anyone. If all the docks/slips were compliant then there would be no need for any "reserved" spots. This would actually make sense as the intent of the ADA was not to give special treatment to people but rather to allow them access to facilities that all of us use. You'd think Wolfeboro could afford a laywer or two to figure this out. So next time the docks are full you can legally, and morally, use the "reserved" slips. Please hand the above to Mr Hanson along with a pound of sand.


So to answer "what's next" .... how wide are the docks ? How big are the gaps ? How high are any obstructions (ie - btw dock and land) ?

ps - I note the use of the wording "New" as in New boating facilities must comply. That doesn't mean old ones don't have to (or shouldn't) but I don't see it in the above. There's a job for a lawyer.