BRENTWOOD, Mo. — A firehouse built in 2010 needs upgrades because it is not compliant with the American with Disabilities Act.
The firehouse at 8756 Eulalie Avenue does not have an elevator. In June, Brentwood purchased a single family home next to the firehouse for $195,000 as a part of updating the facility. During a board of aldermen meeting in May, city officials discussed the possibility of building an elevator on that land.
Brentwood resident and licensed architect Richard Emery said he is upset that the City of Brentwood did not build the firehouse correctly in the first place.
“The city's made mistakes,” Emery said. “It just needs to be right. There's a reason codes are there. Codes are there to protect the public.”
Brentwood’s City Attorney agreed that the firehouse must be ADA compliant because it is a public building, according to minutes from a Board of Aldermen meeting in May.
Also, the firehouse does not have its own parking lot. Brentwood’s spokesperson Janet Levy said the city has started work to correct the issues. She also said she could not comment on decisions that were made when the firehouse was planned and built.
Emery said he wanted to call attention to this issue to keep city leaders in check.
“The citizens need to be aware of it so there's better planning and better use of our tax dollars,” Emery said.
