Handicap entrance officially opens at Searles Building

By Randal Edgar
Methuen Journal Writer

March 8, 1995

METHUEN – The Searles Building has a new, handicap accessible, main entrance. It also has a more convenient place for residents to pay their bills. The new entrance opened officially on Monday morning. It is located at the tunnel entrance from the buildings lower parking lot, next to the US mailbox in the Methuen journal vending machine.

The Searles Building on Pleasant Street  is where the city offices are located. The new entrance will make it easier for handicap residence to enter the building. With the push of a button, the door at the parking lot opens automatically. Residents can then walk through a tunnel that leads to a larger room with pictures from the sales estate, a plaque honoring donors to the cities American flag program, and a satellite tax collectors office.

The room also has a chairlift to carry handicap residents up the 53 inches to “ground level, “where they can access the building’s elevator and go to any floor they choose.”

Mayor Dennis Dizoglio, who did the formal ribbon cutting at the entrance on Monday morning, said the satellite tax collectors office will be open during the first and last weeks of billing cycles for the property tax, excise tax, and water and sewer bills. Residents paying the bills in person would normally go to the tax collector/treasures on the third floor.

The satellite office will be open the week of March 13 from 9 AM to 12 PM to coincide with the last week residents can pay the water and sewer bills early and receive a 10% discount, Mayor DiZoglio said.

May deserve you said it would cost too much to have the satellite office open all the time. Quote from a personal point of you, it’s difficult to try and man to offices, “he said.

In addition, Medisav Hillside, most of the 5000 residents to come each quarter to pay the bills come either during the first or last week of the billing cycles. Handicap parking spaces at the sales building will be relocated to the lowest section of the parking lot corner near the new main entrance.