In the wake of a fatal crash at a Portillo’s restaurant in the village, Oswego trustees as a committee of the whole Tuesday evening will discuss potential changes to building codes to improve safety at future businesses in town.
On July 30 at around 1:55 p.m., a vehicle crashed through the front entrance of the Portillo’s restaurant at 2810 Route 34 in Oswego, according to officials. A 2-year-old boy, who was inside the restaurant, died as a result of the crash, and 12 people were injured, according to past reporting. Police have said they believe it to have been an accident.
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The changes to be discussed by Oswego trustees Tuesday night would be for new commercial buildings in Oswego, not existing businesses, according to a report to trustees.
The village currently follows the International Building Code’s 2021 regulations for new construction, Oswego Development Services Director Rod Zenner said in the report to trustees.
“These regulations do not require any protection measures, such as bollards, for pedestrians along sidewalks or store entrances,” Zenner said.
The village does go “beyond the requirement” of the International Building Code by requiring protection for outdoor dining locations, he said.
Staff reviewed other communities to see what they are doing for protection at businesses.
“Most communities do not require any additional protections beyond the (International Building Code) regulations,” he said.
Staff found many regulations at towns in the area that require protection for outdoor seating areas of restaurants, but some communities have regulations requiring protection for front entrances if parking spaces are within a certain distance of an entrance, he said.
Some communities place safety requirements based on the size of a structure, he added.
“Of the regulations staff did find, the most common requirement is for protection of the public entrances to commercial establishments,” he said. “These would include the use of bollards or large planters rated to withstand the force of a vehicle in movement.
“These protection devices can be placed around the public entrances in a way that can stop a vehicle while not prohibiting access to the site for patrons or restricting accessibility requirements or fire department access,” he said.
A requirement of bollards to protect entrances can be easily accommodated for future commercial development at a minimal cost to developers, Zenner said.
“Staff can establish a requirement based on best practices to establish a design standard for the bollards/planters that identifies a structural standard, spacing requirements and design elements,” he said.
Trustees will also discuss other regulations to potentially protect buildings, officials said.
The staff report to trustees said that although the current discussion focuses on new construction, “staff will provide outreach to existing businesses outlining the regulations and provide guidelines for existing businesses if they want to incorporate improvements on their properties” if new safety rules are approved by the board.
Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.