COUNTY SET TO SPEND $80,000 FOR NEWBURY PARK CURB RAMPS.

Byline: David Greenberg Daily News Staff Writer

Ventura County is planning to spend $80,000 from the county road fund to create access ramps on 83 curbs on street corners in Newbury Park.

The board is expected to award a contract Tuesday to Sun Valley-based Kalban Inc., with $80,000 to retrofit curbs on the corners of Wendy, Michael and Jenny drives as well as Old Conejo Road.

The county Public Works Agency also attached to the project plans for two access ramps on Simon Way in El Rio.

The total project, including design and engineering, will cost $110,000.

Completion of the project will mean nearly all of the sidewalks in the unincorporated area of Newbury Park will be more user-friendly.

``It's long overdue,'' said John Ellis, a Thousand Oaks activist who pushes for compliance of Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. ``The law is over seven years old. They were supposed to have done this work something like four years ago.''

Ellis' wife, Phyllis, uses a wheelchair.

``I'm very encouraged that we're getting some public works money spent in Newbury Park,'' said Supervisor Frank Schillo.

Kalban's bid, the lowest of six, was 24 percent below the original $105,000 estimate, according to Butch Britt, deputy director of public works.

About $54,000 in state funding secured by the county will be earmarked for the access ramps - an ongoing project in unincorporated areas, he said.

``These sidewalks were built before handicapped ramps were required,'' Britt said.

Construction of the 1-by-12-foot access ramps could begin as early as mid-December and will take 30 to 45 days to complete.

Britt said he did not anticipate any traffic problems as a result of the work.