City to replace crumbling light poles near casino
The City of Windsor is pledging to promptly replace crumbling decorative light poles along Pitt Street near Caesars Windsor, after the general manager of the refurbished Holiday Inn Express registered concerns about their safety and ugly appearance. City engineer Mark Winterton said the replacement plan was already in the works before Felipe Gomes called city officials. But the city had to check inventories, deal with the original manufacturer, figure out who was going to pay, and work with the various parties — the city, Enwin and the casino — to make sure it was getting done. “We recognize the issue and they’re being replaced and they should be good to go very, very shortly,” Winterton said Tuesday. When asked if the deteriorated poles pose a safety risk, he replied: “No, not imminently.
“But they’re going to be replaced because there is some rebar showing,” he said. “Sure, if a car hit it, it could fall down, but I don’t think it’s in danger of tipping over just on its own.”
Gomes, who arrived in Windsor from London in November to manage the refurbished Riverside Drive hotel, said he’s overwhelmed by the riverfront views and the city ’s potential. Business has been great, but he’s been less than impressed by the short walk his hotel customers take along Pitt Street to the casino.
In recent months, he said, he repeatedly contacted the city about the burnt-out spotlights for the wonderful Underground Railway sculpture that was impossible to clearly see at night. The lights were finally replaced after three months, he said.
Then he noticed the street lights, special decorative ones that were paid for by the casino (about 15 years ago, according to Winterton) and owned by the city. The concrete bases of at least eight of them are crumbling like sand, remarked Gomes as he led a tour down Pitt Street. The worst one has lost almost all its solid concrete base, leaving exposed rebar surrounded by sand-like granules. “You can see that structure is on the verge of collapse,” said Gomes, pointing to it and a couple of other poles that appeared to be slanting towards the street. He said he’s fearful for his customers walking back and forth from the casino, and for motorists driving along Pitt Street.
“This is hanging like a toothpick with thousands of pounds on top (including the light fixture and an extra spotlight fixed on the casino).”
Gomes said while the hotel itself has undergone a $10-million renovation, everything surrounding the former TraveLodge is part of his guests’ experience. He said he was told that replacing the poles was being delayed while the various parties figure out who pays. But lives are at stake, he said, suggesting that all the red tape could end up causing disastrous results — yellow caution tape surrounding a fallen pole.
“How can you say ‘ We have a dispute over who’s going to fix this,’ ” he said. “It’s ridiculous.” Winterton, who doesn’t agree that the replacements are being delayed by disputes, said the worst light pole will likely be replaced within a week.
City staff determined that the warranty for the poles was expired, but the manufacturer has agreed to replace them anyway — a recognition they should last longer than they have. So there’s no cost to the city, except for installation costs.
“I think we were already on top of it and it was just a matter of negotiating with the pole manufacturer to get the thing taken care of,” he said.
There are similar poles throughout the downtown that haven’t deteriorated like this. Winterton believes it was just a fluke, that perhaps there was a large buildup of road salt on the bases shortly after they were installed.
I think we were already on top of it and it was just a matter of negotiating with the pole manufacturer to get the thing taken care of