CCMIN030111 - Laserfiche WebLink

Councilmember Sullivan questioned if cities with installed grey domes were at risk due to lack of contrast. Mr. Smith said it would be difficult to defend being able to see the grey color from 30 to 60 feet away and having a 70% contrast. He noted that once it is a federal requirement, it could potentially need to be changed out. Councilmember Cook - Kallio questioned other colors that could be seen from 30 to 60 feet away besides the brick red, and also said if earth -tone, it could match landscaping. Mr. Smith replied that a lot has to do with the surrounding area and conditions. Interestingly, when a person loses their vision, the last color they lose is yellow. Tests done with darker colors have found that individuals with poor vision still could see the yellow by 86% over the darker colors, regardless of the variance between colors. Councilmember McGovern cited the amount of yellow striping downtown and said it is always the color used for caution. She asked if the ADA Committee supported the downtown color change of red brick. Mr. Smith said while they are open to looking at other successful examples, their preference is yellow. Councilmember McGovern voiced caution in use of red brick at night. She also questioned the instance of risk and accidents if the City did not use the federal standard of yellow. Mr. Smith said proof would have to be found that the City installed something that did not meet the requirement, which is not specifically yellow, but that meets the standards. Councilmember Thorne questioned how contrast is measured. City Engineer Jim Kelcourse said this is a challenge and it is why a numeric value is not assigned. Much depends on lighting and weather conditions, and it is a concept that talks about a percentage and not a defined limit. Anyone looking at drawings presented showing grey in a rain event would agree that the 60% in contrast is not being met. Mayor Hosterman said she has been in a number of cities and has seen charcoal and black detectors which cannot easily be seen. She has also seen brick red and adobe colored detectors which are extremely attractive and also visible. She questioned instances of complaints with cities using alternative colors. Mr. Smith said the only complaints received are those indicating that yellow stands out too much. Mr. Kelcourse added that important is that it is a guideline and not yet enforceable. However, once adopted as a federal yellow standard, it will become enforceable. If the City upgrades the street, those not yellow will need to be replaced. Councilmember Cook - Kallio questioned other cities' use of brick red and questioned the downtown installation schedule. Messrs. Smith and Kelcourse said they did not know of other cities and of importance is the contrast factor. Regarding the schedule, Mr. Smith said two things drive installation of ramps; one is when streets are redone, and second, work on major thoroughfares. Mayor Hosterman questioned the Council's flexibility for using yellow for the larger intersections where visibility is a problem, and allowing for some smaller streets and intersections to use the brick red color. Mr. Smith said staff recommendation is use of federal yellow at larger intersections and agreed that staff could look at some test sites for smaller installations. Mayor Hosterman opened the item for public comment. City Council Minutes Page 4 of 7 March 1, 2011