Two ladies out for a stroll in Treasure Island think the city’s new beach trail is a beautiful addition.
“It’s lovely and I think the decorative touches they made are really beautiful and it’s a huge improvement over what it was previously," said resident Marilyn Maurin.
“It looks very nice especially compared to what it was before,” said resident Heather Maurin.
But take a closer look at this 400-foot section of concrete wall and noticable cracks appear.
“There appear to be hairline cracks in many places along the wall,” said Marilyn Maurin.
That’s the problem with this $1.5 million beautification project. The hairline cracks in the wall appeared immediately after the recently poured concrete began to harden.
The project’s architect says it’s not a structural defect but it is a cosmetic problem.
The mayor of Treasure Island, Bob Minning, said the cause is a design flaw and that the expansion joints in the wall weren’t spaced correctly.
“I can’t prejudge how it’s going to turn out, but I’m confident the city commission is going to make sure that what we pay for is what we get. We’re not going to settle for something that’s not a quality project or not a quality job when all is said or done.” Mayor Minning said.
If the cracks can’t be repaired, it’s possible the wall will have to be torn down so builders can start from scratch.
“It’s so pretty. I would hate to see it all torn down and have to start all over with it,” said Heather Maurin.
One way or another, the mayor says the project will be a success.
The Treasure Island city commission is meeting Tuesday to talk about the best way to solve the problem.
Some commissioners are concerned that the crack might re-appear after repair so tearing the wall down and starting over might be best.