5 §4593. Existing facilities - Maine Statutes

Title 5: ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES AND SERVICES

Part 12: HUMAN RIGHTS HEADING: PL 1971, C. 501, §1 (NEW); 1971, C. 622, §19 (AMD)

Chapter 337: HUMAN RIGHTS ACT HEADING: PL 1971, C. 501, §1 (NEW); 1971, C. 622, §19 (AMD)

Subchapter 5: PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS HEADING: PL 1971, C. 501, §1 (NEW)

§4593. Existing facilities

1. Public accommodations. For any building or facility constructed specifically as a place of public accommodation on or after September 1, 1974, but before January 1, 1982, or when the estimated total costs for remodeling or enlarging an existing building exceed $250,000 and the remodeling or enlarging is begun before January 1, 1982, the following standards of construction must be met.

A. There must be at least one public walk not less than 40 inches wide with a slope not greater than one foot rise in 12 feet leading directly to a primary entrance. However, after April 1, 1977, the public walk must be not less than 48 inches wide. [1991, c. 99, §23 (AMD).]

B. There must be a door at the primary entrance with a clear opening of not less than 32 inches and operable by a single effort. If doors at a primary entrance are in a series, they must have a space between them of not less than 84 inches measured from their closed positions; and each must open in the same direction so that swings do not conflict. [1991, c. 99, §23 (AMD).]

C. Rest room facilities must have at least one stall that is not less than 4 feet wide, 5 feet in depth, a 32-inch wide door that swings out or slides, handrails on each side mounted 33 inches from the floor, and a water closet with a seat 20 inches high. [1991, c. 99, §23 (AMD).]

D. Doors that are not intended for normal use, and that are dangerous if a blind person were to enter or exit by them, must be made identifiable to touch by knurling the handle or knob. [1991, c. 99, §23 (AMD).]

E. There must be parking spaces designated for persons with physical disability set aside in adequate number and clearly marked for use only by the disabled. Set aside in adequate number means that, for every 25 parking spaces made available to the public on a public or private parking lot, at least one of those spaces must be made available in an appropriate location for parking exclusively used by persons with physical disability. [1991, c. 99, §23 (AMD).]

In any building designed and constructed specifically for public accommodations, the bathroom facilities and all accompanying fixtures must be arranged to permit access and use by a person in a wheelchair in at least 1% of the living units. The units must be constructed on ground level and must comply with paragraph C.

[ 1995, c. 393, §25 (AMD) .]

2. Places of employment. For any building or facility constructed specifically as a place of employment on or after September 1, 1974, but before January 1, 1982, or when the estimated total costs for remodeling or enlarging an existing building exceeds $100,000, and the remodeling or enlarging is begun before January 1, 1982, the public accommodation provisions relating to walks, entries, restroom facilities and doors apply.

[ 1995, c. 393, §25 (AMD) .]

SECTION HISTORY

1973, c. 705, §12 (NEW). 1975, c. 355, §§12-14 (AMD). 1977, c. 80, §1 (AMD). 1981, c. 334, §§1,2 (AMD). 1983, c. 437, §4 (AMD). 1987, c. 390, §1 (AMD). 1991, c. 99, §23 (AMD). 1995, c. 393, §25 (AMD).