The Centralia Train Depot is located at 210 Railroad Ave.
The Centralia City Council is moving forward with a plan to replace some of the bricks at the Centralia Train Depot in order to make the sidewalk compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The plan, one of five presented by Community Development Director Emil Pierson Tuesday night, will cut out a 5-foot strip of the current brick walkway and replace it with concrete, retaining the bricks on either side.
It’s slightly more expensive than completely replacing the bricks with concrete, but councilors objected to that option last month, saying the $4.4 million invested into the restoration of the depot warrants preserving the historic look.
The sidewalk work will cost around $69,000, a balance between the cheaper concrete-only plan and a costlier proposal to remove and relay the bricks. ADA requires the bricks be level with a lip no greater than a quarter-inch, but adding the concrete sidewalk will satisfy the requirement.
More expensive options included adding a concrete courtyard and ramps.
“It will look just like it does today, just with a 5-foot sidewalk down the middle,” Pierson told the council.
Councilor Rebecca Staebler expressed concern that the brick and concrete hybrid plan would look “cobbled together.”
“Is it going to look ridiculous?” she asked. “I don’t want it to look patched together.”
City Manager Rob Hill said he wasn’t worried about the aesthetics.
“There’s ways that we can blend that new sidewalk into those bricks, but I don’t think it will look bad at all,” he said.
Councilor Peter Abbarno said the plan, which was the second of five options Pierson gave to the council, struck the best balance between meeting standards, preserving history and saving money.
“I prefer option two to comply with the ADA accessibility, but also leave as much of the historic bricks and the historic look as we can,” he said.
The council passed the proposal in a unanimous 7-0 vote.
