A five‑foot slice of sidewalk is opening the door to St. Mary’s next major upgrade.
The Storm Lake City Council voted on Monday to move forward with a land purchase request from St. Mary’s Catholic School, allowing the school to buy a narrow strip of city right‑of‑way along Second Street, between Seneca and Cayuga. The land will be used to build new entry stairs and an ADA‑accessible ramp as part of a larger, long‑range expansion plan.
Architect Patrick Schnell of FEH Design told the council the project is the first step in a 10‑year vision to modernize the school’s facilities and improve access to the gymnasium — a space heavily used for athletics, graduations and community events.
Schnell said the school’s current entrance was built long before modern accessibility standards. He noted that the existing ramp is too steep to meet ADA requirements, and the building’s structural layout leaves little room to redesign the entry without extending into the right‑of‑way.
Council members asked how the change would affect the sidewalk and pedestrian flow. Schnell said the stairs would extend close to the current sidewalk line, but the design keeps the walkway open.
Safety and visibility questions were also raised — especially concerns about nighttime lighting, but Schnell said plans call for some lighting on the exterior of the new addition.
The motion to approve the request passed on a 4-1 vote with councilperson Matt Ricklefs casting the lone “no.” Monday’s action does not finalize the sale of the land. Instead, it directs city staff to prepare the required public hearing and legal documents for the project to move forward.
