Twists and turns of the stairway chairlift (Activity Report)

Easy at first glance

Several factors have made the inclined stairway chairlift project seem like it would be easy. They include:

1. Two experienced vendors recommended the same make/model for our particular needs (Bruno Elite Curved), which they selected from among their broader (and fortunately overlapping) product lines.
2. As I have noted, that particular model is well established and well regarded. It is available with a commercial-grade package of safety features and controls.
3. Installation of that model is normally completed in a single day. The installer fits together the pieces of track, and then bolts the track’s footings to the stair treads. Done!

Below the jump, this post enumerates the much longer list of factors that have made the project difficult.…

State regulations that apply to a stairway chairlift (Background Report)

INSTALLING A STAIRWAY CHAIRLIFT in a non-residential venue like Mishkon’s sanctuary building turns out to be much more complicated than in a private residence—even though the equipment would be exactly the same. The difference? It’s a matter of state law.

In order to make sense of a recent, cryptic email message from the City’s chief elevator inspector, today I read over the relevant provisions in the California Labor Code (namely, Division 5. Safety in employment. Part 3. Safety on buildings. Chapter 2. Elevators, Escalators, Platform and Stairway Chair Lifts,…and Other Conveyances [7300 - 7324.2]). 

I learned that the City’s elevator inspection folks are simply doing their best to follow state law. (Previously I had the impression that the LADBS was idiosyncratic in its regulation of stairway chairlifts — that it treated them as strictly as elevators whereas most other municipalities did not. However, that’s not correct.) It is the California Labor Code that covers the installation and inspection of stairway chairlifts. I.e., the L.A. Dept. of Building & Safety merely acts as the agent of the state’s Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Occupational Safety and Health, better known as Cal/OSHA (ref.: Labor Code section 7310).

The following state regulations apply in our case.

Labor Code section 7301.1 

The applicant for a [stairway chairlift] permit under this section shall … hold a current elevator contractor’s license issued pursuant to Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 7000) of Division 3 of the Business and Professions Code; [and] be a certified qualified conveyance company; [and] submit proof of [certain] types of insurance coverage.… 

Labor Code section 7301 

No [stairway chairlift] shall be operated in this state unless a permit for its operation is issued … in behalf of the division, and unless the permit remains in effect and is kept posted conspicuously on the conveyance. Operation of a conveyance without a permit or failure to post the permit conspicuously shall constitute cause for the division to prohibit use of the conveyance….

Labor Code section 7302 

The operation of a conveyance without a permit by any person owning or having the custody, management, or control of the operation of the conveyance, is a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), imprisonment in the county jail for not more than 10 days, or by both that fine and imprisonment. Each day of operation for each conveyance without a permit is a separate offense. Any person who has requested the issuance or renewal of a permit if the request has not been acted upon by the division may not be prosecuted for a violation of this section.

I’m looking forward to discussing the state regulations with our chosen vendor, Look Stairchairs, when its owner returns to town on May 27. Because stairway chairlifts are a borderline case, the state’s qualifications for an installer are not clear to me. It will apparently come down to how the Cal/OSHA Elevator Unit interprets the code, as it would apply in our case.

Weighing the alternative to an elevator (Speculation)

ONE OF THE many reasons to provide wheelchair access to the basement is to achieve Mishkon’s own renovation priorities. Those priorities include the installation of proper HVAC systems in the basement (Social Hall and kitchen). It appears that according to the state building code’s Section 11B-202.4 (quite apart from the ADA), we will not be allowed to even start those projects unless we can show how someone in a wheelchair can travel to and from the basement.  

In order to provide such access, it appears that Mishkon has two options: 

• spend roughly $200K for an inclined platform lift in the east stairwell (as described here), or 
• spend roughly $400K for a small elevator (as discussed here and here).

Below the jump, this post briefly discusses the trade-offs involved in that big decision.

Wheelchair access to basement via the eastern stairwell (Speculation)

BEFORE WE COMMIT to a small elevator (or not), let’s consider one other way for a wheelchair user to get to the basement level: via the east stairwell that runs between the sanctuary building and the play yard. 

Few members even know of this stairwell’s existence, because Mishkon has long treated it as an emergency-only exit. It is located outdoors yet is covered by a shed roof and shielded from the play yard by opaque wooden fencing. 

For wheelchair access, when compared to the more familiar west (Main Street) stairwell, this east stairwell has two advantages: 

1. it offers a straight and uninterrupted route between ground level and the basement level; and 
2. its ground-level entry point would be close to the Hampton Drive street-level gate, and next to the planned ADA-accessible ramp into the sanctuary—meaning that someone who arrives in a wheelchair would already be in the vicinity. 

Could an inclined platform lift run along a track mounted in this stairwell?

Below the jump, this post explores the feasibility of that option for improved accessibility. It concludes with a ballpark cost estimate.…

Multiple modes are needed for full access to our building (Background Report)

NO SINGLE MODE of movement will work for all types of people to access all of our spaces. A mix of modes is needed, as this grid shows.

(As usual, click/tap on an image to enlarge it.)

Key to “Mobility type”:

• Walk and climb  =  Easily mobile; stairs are easy

• Walk, not climb  =  Bad knee/hip/ankle/back, or unsteady on feet; stairs are difficult

• Not walk or climb  =  Wheelchair; stairs are impossible

Entry accessibility plan for the sanctuary building (Activity Report)

AN ENTRY ACCESSIBILITY PLAN was required by the City as a prerequisite for doing renovations. Happily, ours has now taken shape. On October 23, our architect presented the draft plan to a civil engineer on the disability access team at the Department of Building & Safety (LADBS). She said that the concept seemed workable, given our needs and constraints. That not only clears the way for the planned restroom renovations, but also sets the course for significant accessibility improvements.

Below the jump, this post lays out our plan.… 

Has the board approved a full (wraparound) stairlift?

ANSWERING THAT QUESTION is a complex endeavor, because of the indirect way that the approval came about. The short answer is Yes: the board approved two related motions in February that together constitute approval of a full stairlift. One motion approved its upper half, and the other motion approved its lower half. 

What has puzzled some board members is the fact that the stairlift was not mentioned explicitly in the wording of either motion.

Below the jump, this post explains how it all came together.…

First 6 months of Phase 1 renovations: Preparatory steps (Activity Report)

IN LATE OCTOBER, our architect (along with a pair of synagogue representatives) had two productive meetings with City officials. They conducted an initial review of the planned Phase 1 of renovations. Both of those meetings settled a number of uncertainties. That result now enables us to move forward with our Phase 1 renovations. It also provides a good opportunity to take stock of what has been accomplished during the 6 months (this week) that the project has now been formally underway.

Below the jump, this post provides a progress report, along with a brief look at what comes next.…

Mishkon engages architect for Phase 1 of multi-year renovations (Activity Report)

MISHKON SIGNED A CONTRACT in May with KCK Architects, an accomplished historic preservation firm, to oversee Phase 1 of renovations in our historic sanctuary building. After meeting with representatives of seven firms, I recommended this one as the best suited for our needs among those available to undertake our project.

The planned work is to be carried out in several phases over a period of 3–4 years. The only phase we have contracted for at present is the first one, which includes restroom remodeling (lobby level), lobby reno­vation, and the siting/integration of a possible elevator, within the context of an overall entry accessibility plan. Fu­ture phases are subject to approval by the board and/or B&G Committee.

Below the jump, this post discusses the background, the need, and the architect’s services to be performed—with brief status notes as we near the 6-month mark.…

Update on the stairlift (Draft Proposal)

AS OUR ARCHITECT prepares to meet with City officials next month to discuss our entry accessibility plan, it is timely to revisit the stairlift component—which was introduced HERE (Feb. 12) and updated HERE (May 8). 

Again, the overall goal is to ease the entry to (and exit from) our sanctuary building for people who find stairs difficult. Our doing so is required in order to get building per­mits to make further alterations to the facility, such as expanded restrooms.

Below the jump, I give updates on three aspects: recommended equipment, cost, and the permitting experience of a nearby church.

Stairlift for accessibility to sanctuary from Main Street: Further thoughts (Draft Proposal)

SINCE FEBRUARY, when I proposed that we install a stairlift in our historic sanctuary building’s front stairwell (a move that shortly thereafter was independently suggested to me by Ed Geil), I have spoken with several more vendors of stairlifts. In the process, I have learned a few things.

Below the jump, I share the two biggest lessons learned, and their implications.…

A plan for entry accessibility (Speculation)

GETTING IN AND OUT of our historic sanctuary building cannot be done according to either the normal building code or the more lenient state historic building code, unfortunately. Yet surely our impending restroom expansion will trigger a review of the building’s entry accessibility. This topic must be addressed before we can proceed with that larger project. Therefore I have been working toward a draft plan for entry accessibility, while discussing the topic with several architects.

Ultimately, such a plan will need to be formally developed by an architect of record. However, I find that our building poses certain constraints that will inevitably guide that plan. Below the jump, this post discusses those constraints, and the remaining options.

Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Capital Priorities, as submitted 2/3/25 (Activity Report)

THE COMMITTEE WAS ASKED to provide the Board a list of priorities for the use of funds currently held in the Mishkon Tephilo Capital Improvements Fund (at Morgan Stanley). The committee was informed that approximately $400,000 was deposited into this fund from proceeds of the sale of the Powerhouse property and the bequest of Larry Kasdon.

(So begins the report. Below the jump, the remainder is given verbatim.…)

Improving entry accessibility to sanctuary: Main Street side (Draft Proposal)

STAIRS POSE A CHALLENGE to many of our members and visitors. One option to increase accessibility is to install a stairlift. The prime location for a stairlift is in the front stairwell of the sanctuary building, between the street-level doors to Main Street and the lobby level. 

Below the jump, this post discusses a stairlift for that section of stairs, based upon my meeting with one vendor (for orientation).…

What happened to the stairwell lift that we used to have? (Condition Report)

LAST YEAR, Fleming arranged to have our non-working stairwell lift removed and scrapped. Which raises the question as to what exactly had once been there, and what went wrong. 

Below the jump, I report on what I have recently learned from modest exploration and inquiry.… 

Would the planned alterations meet Code for accessibility? (Speculation)

THE STATE HISTORICAL BUILDING CODE provides alternative minimum standards for alterations of qualified historical buildings or facilities. The section for accessibility can be found HERE. 

Our historic sanctuary building does qualify for the allowances under this code, according to our 2003 Historic Structure Report. And now that we are contemplating genuine alterations—not merely repairs or rehabilitation—it seems timely to explore what the applicable accessibility standards are. 

Below the jump, this post explores three aspects of the accessibility standards and how they would apply in our situation.…

Improving entry accessibility to sanctuary: Hampton Drive side (Draft Proposal)

THE NORTHEAST CORRIDOR is the only entrance to (and exit from) our historic sanctuary that works for someone in a wheelchair. Yet that success is mixed: It relies upon employing portable aluminum ramps that are placed at a steep (and thus rather unsafe) angle. And making it work requires careful attention from at least a couple of people at a time.

Surely we can do better than this! Therefore I am planning to propose to the board that we engage an architect to design a solution for us.

Below the jump, this post lists the criteria for a proposed project to improve the level of accessibility through this corridor. It also touches on the role of an architect in this project’s success.

Our synagogue and the Americans for Disabilities Act (ADA)

IS OUR SYNAGOGUE EXEMPT from the A.D.A., as a religious entity? Yes and no. While our own programs are exempt, the activity of any non-religious body that rents space from us appears to be subject to the A.D.A.

Hence our ability to lease our (downstairs) facilities depends upon our accommodation to A.D.A. requirements.

Below the jump, this post excerpts the more formal language on the official website ada.gov.

Strategy for reviving the Social Hall (Speculation)

RECENTLY WE RECEIVED an insurance settlement to cover repairs to the basement spaces that were damaged by water from a defective fire sprinkler. Given that we not only want to fix the torn-up walls but also create a space that we can readily use (and even rent out), what steps should we now take toward reviving the Social Hall, and in what order? 

Below the jump, I sketch out an integrated approach—which represents my opinion alone. I am not speaking for Mishkon as a synagogue.…

Accessibility versus historic preservation

ONE OF THE QUESTIONS that came up during a recent planning tour of the premises was: “How is Mishkon expected to trade off the competing considerations between making the building more accessible to mobility-challenged persons and preserving it as a historic-cultural monument? What do the relevant laws, codes, and preservation guidelines tell us?”

 

When questions like this arise, I consult the Historic Structure Report (“HSR”; 2003), because that is exactly what an HSR is for. As the National Park Service noted in 1991, “Historic Structure Reports are reference documents for the purpose of minimizing the loss of significant [historic] fabric during restoration or rehabilitation work.” 

Below the jump, this post summarizes what our HSR has to say on the matter.