Committee approves ADA ramps and a signalized crosswalk near Oxmoor

The Homewood public safety committee voted to approve two ordinances that will add Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) curb ramps and a signalized pedestrian crossing near Oxmoor, including work at the Seminole and East Hawthorne intersections and additional ramps at Claremont.

The committee’s Chair opened the agenda item and Harden, a committee member, moved to proceed per the schematic; the motion was seconded by Woolverton. After discussion the committee approved the Seminole/Oxmoor/East Hawthorne package (vote recorded as 3–0) and later approved the Claremont ramps ordinance (vote recorded as 4–0). The approved schematics and ordinances will be forwarded to city council for formal action.

Committee members and staff described the decision as driven by accessibility and public-safety concerns. One committee member recounted watching “a mom with her child in a stroller struggling to get the stroller down off the curb and cross to the other side,” and said adding ramps would make regular pedestrian routes safer and more accessible to parents, older residents and people using mobility devices. Staff said the work is consistent with the city’s ADA transition plan and that sidewalk funds remain available to pay for the ramps and related equipment.

The committee debated adding a crosswalk across Oxmoor at the Seminole intersection and whether it should be signalized. Staff said a pedestrian (ped) signal could be tied into existing traffic controllers and that the project could use leftover sidewalk funds for the ped signal or a solar option; staff also noted some locations already have compliant ramps. A staff member described this work as part of an inventory to bring noncompliant ramps into compliance with the ADA transition plan.

Members discussed competing safety priorities but agreed the Oxmoor-area work is warranted because the intersection fronts a day-care center and a church with high pedestrian volumes, especially on Sundays. One member urged caution about drawing funds away from other emergent intersections but did not block approval.

The committee asked staff to split the work into two ordinances to simplify processing: one ordinance covering the Seminole/East Hawthorne/Oxmoor package (including a signalized crosswalk with a ped signal on the west side where feasible) and a second ordinance covering the Claremont ramps and related corners. The motion described ramps added on both corners at the named intersections and a signalized crosswalk with a ped signal at Oxmoor; schematics will be provided to council as exhibits.

Next steps: staff will finalize the schematics and send the ordinances to council for consideration. The committee did not set a construction schedule in the meeting; timing will depend on council approval and project scheduling.

Direct attributions in this article use speakers identified in the meeting transcript (Harden, Chair, committee members and staff). The transcript contains inconsistent spellings for some street names (Claremont/Clermont/Clairemont) and a variation of Harden’s name (Hardin vs. Harden); this article uses the name Harden (self‑identified in the transcript) and the spelling "Claremont" for the intersection discussed, noting those inconsistencies where relevant.