Oswego officials say they are working alongside a family whose 2-year-old son was killed during a fatal crash at a Portillo’s restaurant in the village to improve public building safety standards in town.
The village recently announced it has partnered with The Finnegan Project, a nonprofit organization founded by the parents of Finnegan Trooper McKee, a 2-year-old boy killed in July when a vehicle crashed through the front entrance of the Portillo’s at 2810 Route 34 in Oswego.
Finnegan’s parents, Schyler and Christina McKee, initiated the nonprofit in memory of their son to advocate for the installation of protective barriers at public venues and provide support to families affected by similar incidents, village officials said in a news release.
Village President Ryan Kauffman in the wake of the tragedy directed staff to develop amendments to village building codes concerning protective barriers that were subsequently discussed by Oswego Village Board members.
The board unanimously supported building code changes and directed staff to proceed with the formal code amendment process.
The proposed ordinance, referred to as Finnegan’s Law, would include a new section to the village’s Unified Development Ordinance which details where vehicle impact protection devices would be required, as well as other details including impact resistance level, spacing and appearance.
“We are committed to ensuring the safety of our residents and visitors,” Kauffman said in a village news release. “This partnership with The Finnegan Project honors Finnegan’s memory and reflects our shared goal of preventing future tragedies through thoughtful design.”
The proposed amendments to the Village Code – under a section designated Vehicle Impact Protection – would require certain newly-constructed buildings and outdoor uses to install vehicle impact protection devices, such as bollards or planters, in front of entrances and unprotected walls. The areas include all public entrances in the B-1 Regional Business District and the M-1 General Manufacturing District and areas within residential districts such as churches or schools.
The areas include public entrances to residential care facilities, assisted living, nursing homes and hospice facilities, outdoor dining areas and outdoor play areas at day care centers, officials said.
The Oswego Village Board is set to give consideration to the matter at its meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 9.
The Finnegan Project also aims to raise awareness about the frequency of vehicle-into-building crashes and the effectiveness of safety infrastructure, the release said.
“Finnegan’s bright spirit and warm-hearted ambition drive us to push for safer, more secure public spaces. Everything he did came from love and kindness, and it’s important to us that something protective and meaningful comes from this,” his parents Schyler and Christina McKee said in a joint statement.
Oswego intends to further assist The Finnegan Project in advocating for legislative changes concerning safety infrastructure at the state and federal levels as well as through generally recognized building codes, village officials said.
Locally, the village plans to provide outreach to existing businesses to inform them of any new safety regulations and provide guidelines for them to incorporate into their properties to improve vehicular and pedestrian safety as well, officials said.
Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
