The Mount Airy Historical Preservation Board must approve the appeal for a disabled homeowner's plans for a paved, half-circle driveway at her home and business at 501 South Main Street in Mount Airy, North Carolina.
This petition is not a request for donations. All construction costs are the responsibility of the property owner and she has it covered! More information about the effort to make Cousin Emma's Bed and Breakfast more accessible for customers with disabilities at https://cuznemmasappeal.weebly.com
Suzanne Lewis Brown is the resident and owner of Cousin Emma' s Bed and Breakfast. In 2015, she retired to her hometown to fulfill her life-long dream of opening a bed and breakfast. She bought and lovingly restored a dilapidated and vandalized house in Mount Airy, North Carolina. In the process, she suffered a permanent disability. Brown required the replacement of both knees. Complications left her with chronic inflammation and limited her mobility. She requires a cane to walk and must walk on even and paved surfaces.
Undaunted, she opened Cousin Emma's Bed & Breakfast to guests and maintains a sanitation inspection grade of 100%. She also hosts small events at the house to raise money for scholarships to Salvation Army summer camp for local children.
In spite of her disability, it is important to Brown to remain self-sufficient and active in her community. A paved half-circle driveway is necessary for the owner and operator of Cousin Emma' s Bed and Breakfast, who has suffered a permanent disability, to safely enter and exit the premises. Brown is fully responsible for paying for the half-circle driveway and curb cut. She has estimates from the three local, reputable paving contractors.
The paved driveway also ensures a safe and accessible path of travel for B&B guests who have disabilities. Tourists with disabilities deserve safe and accessible lodging options in Mount Airy.
Brown has suffered with the extra effort getting in and out of her car on an unsteady and muddy surface since April of 2016 when the Mt Airy Historical Preservation Committee denied her first application for building a half-circle driveway. Historical properties are not exempt from Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) design and construction requirements!
More information at https://cuznemmasappeal.weebly.com
