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Boston's Beacon Hill Balks At Ramps For Disabled

Boston Mayor Martin Walsh says he's considering whether it's possible to bypass the Beacon Hill Architectural Commission after it rejected pedestrian ramps with tactile warning strips for blind pedestrians.

The commission rejected the ramps with bumpy plastic strips because they would mar the neighborhood's Colonial-era character.

Walsh told The Boston Globe he was outraged about the vote in December. He says it would not destroy brownstones or brick sidewalks.

Beacon Hill remains the only Boston neighborhood not complying with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. Boston could lose hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal money if a plan is not approved in the next month.

Steve Young, chairman of the board of the Beacon Hill Civic Association, said the city's initial proposal for yellow tactile strips do not meet historic requirements.

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