Saint John hospital disabled parking lot stays closed because of gate
User: 'If they don't have the means to collect money, just open it'
A long-awaited parking lot for disabled users at the Saint John Regional Hospital is sitting empty because it doesn't have a gate.
The lot, carved from a lawn area next to the hospital's main entrance, has been paved and painted for the last month, but is still inaccessible to people who need it.
It is a sore point for people forced to use less-convenient parking across the street from the hospital.
"My wife is very sick, she has Huntington's and we have to make a lot of trips down here," said David Brown, who drives in from the Dutch Valley, near Sussex Corner.
"To try to get a parking place close, where she's got special shoes and all this, it's very hard."
Greg Renton wonders why the hospital doesn't just open the lot, with its 12 spaces, free-of-charge, until the gate arrives.
The man, who is a caregiver for a family member, says existing disabled spots are often fully occupied.
"I've often gone 15 car lengths (with) a wheel chair in the last month. Why don't they just open it?" said Renton,
"If they don't have the means to collect money, just open it."
But, according to Horizon Health Network, the health authority in charge of the hospital, opening the parking lot for free is not in the cards.
"They do not want to set a precedent and because parking is paid for, they need a gate," said spokeswoman Sarah Logan.
She said she could not give a date for when the lot will be opened.