Decatur’s commission recently amended its Unified Development Ordinance to add requirements for family and assisted restrooms and baby changing stations in new and “substantially renovated” commercial and public buildings.
But Decatur Building Official Mark Ethun also said that baby changing stations, which require minimal space, can be “added in most [existing] restrooms except the older, smaller ones.
“The [family and assisted restrooms] are separate rooms for slightly older children, those not quite old enough to go into the restroom by themselves,” he added. “It could include a situation where a mother takes her son to the restroom, or a father his daughter.”
Former President Barack Obama created momentum for this movement in Oct. 2016 when he signed the Bathrooms Accessible in Every Situation Act to law. This required men and women’s restrooms in all federal public buildings to have changing tables.
Ethun said the state of Georgia has adopted an internal building code, but it’s up to individual cities to amend their ordinances.
He said that the driving force behind amending Decatur’s UDO was Assistant Chief/Fire Marshall Ninetta Violante, who has a young a son.
“A lot of times when people are out and about, they use their car [for changing babies],” Ethun said. “But if you’re walking with a child in a stroller you’re probably not anywhere near your car. If we’re going to promote walkability, we’ve got to have more places where we can change the baby.”
Ethun said the first new baby changing stations and family and assisted restroom under the amended UDO will get built by WeWork, at 120 West Trinity on the old Callaway Building site. WeWork, the shared office space giant, has leased 35,000 square feet and is scheduled to open early next year.
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