ADA Parking Compliance Audit in Mt Angel, Oregon: What to Expect

What an ADA Parking Audit Looks Like in Mt Angel

Mt Angel is a small Marion County town with a big visitor profile. Between the hilltop Mount Angel Abbey and Seminary, the Bavarian-themed downtown, and the September Oktoberfest that draws regional crowds, this town's parking lots serve far more people — and a much wider range of mobility needs — than its year-round population suggests. That makes an ADA parking compliance audit a smart investment for any commercial property, church, or campus lot here.

An audit is a structured, measured walk-through that compares your lot's striping, signage, and grading against the 2010 ADA Standards and Oregon's accessible parking law, ORS 447.233. It is not a citation or an enforcement action — it is a private inspection that tells you exactly where you stand and what to fix. This guide explains what an audit checks and what the findings mean for Mt Angel owners. For the statewide framework, see our ADA parking compliance guide for Oregon.

Why Mt Angel Properties Get Audited

Most audits are voluntary and proactive. Common triggers here include:

• A planned repave or restripe. Resurfacing can count as an "alteration" under ADA, triggering compliance work. Auditing first lets you fix everything in one pass.
• Festival readiness. With accessible-parking demand spiking each September, owners audit ahead of the season to be sure their permanent lot is fully compliant when use peaks.
• A demand letter or complaint. Serial ADA plaintiffs target parking lots statewide, and small towns are not exempt.
• A new tenant or change of use. A conversion to a clinic, for example, raises the accessible ratio.

An audit on your own schedule always costs less than one forced by a complaint.

The Six Things an Auditor Checks

A thorough audit walks every accessible space and the route to the entrance. The full methodology is in our guide to the ADA compliance audit process.

1. Accessible Stall Count

The auditor counts total stalls and confirms the correct accessible count — roughly one per 25 (one for 1–25 stalls, two for 26–50, three for 51–75, four for 76–100). Only the permanent striped lot counts, not Oktoberfest overflow parking.

2. Van-Accessible Ratio

At least one in six accessible spaces must be van-accessible, and any single required space defaults to van-accessible.

3. Stall and Aisle Dimensions

The inspector measures stall width (8 feet minimum), access aisle width (5 feet standard, 8 feet van), and confirms diagonal hatching and a flush, level aisle.

4. Slope

Using a digital level, the auditor checks that stalls and aisles stay within 2 percent slope in any direction. Mt Angel's rising terrain makes slope a frequent finding, since settlement can push an originally compliant grade out of tolerance.

5. Signage

Each space needs the wheelchair-symbol sign at least 60 inches above grade, a "Van Accessible" plate where required, and Oregon's supplemental fine-amount sign.

6. The Accessible Route

The auditor follows the path from accessible stalls to the entrance, checking for level changes over a quarter inch, cracks wider than a half inch, potholes, and a continuous slip-resistant surface.

Reading Your Audit Findings

Findings are usually sorted by severity. The most common Mt Angel findings mirror the 10 most common ADA parking violations:

• Faded symbols and aisle markings — common in a wet valley town, fixed with a restripe
• Missing or non-compliant signage — too low, missing the fine plate, or absent
• Too few van-accessible spaces — frequent on lots striped before current ratios
• Slope out of tolerance — common on the town's sloped sites, the costliest to fix
• Access aisle problems — missing hatching, wrong width, or no aisle
• Route obstructions — cracks, level changes, or potholes between stall and door

Most findings are inexpensive striping and signage fixes. Slope and route grading are the larger-budget items.

What Happens After the Audit

A good audit hands you a prioritized remediation plan:

1. Quick wins. Restripe faded stalls and aisles, repaint symbols, install or correct signage.
2. Aisle and layout corrections. Add a van aisle or reposition stalls onto the shortest route — best done during a restripe.
3. Grading and surface work. Address slope and route defects with targeted regrading or repaving.

Many fixes pair naturally with maintenance already planned, which is why auditing before a repave saves money.

Timing an Audit Around the Festival

For Mt Angel, the ideal audit window is late spring. That gives you time to correct any findings in the same dry-weather striping window — and crucially, well before September, when accessible-parking demand spikes for Oktoberfest. Walking into festival weekend with a freshly audited, freshly striped, fully compliant lot is the goal.