Kenosha---Much ado about nothing. That’s the response from the contractor who rebuilt Kenosha’s velodrome to concerns that have been raised by a couple of aldermen about the quality of the work.
The City Council voted Monday to delay paying Rasch Construction after freshman Ald. Mitchell Pedersen, vice-chair of the Public Works Committee, complained about hairline cracks in the surface of the bike track.
Company president Larry Rasch tells WGTD News that those types of cracks were anticipated by all involved in the project, especially after city engineers rejected the number of control joints that the firm had recommended. Those joints, commonly appearing as striped indentations in concrete slabs, are meant to absorb natural shrinkage and minimize random cracks.
City engineers decided against the number of joints that had been recommended by Rasch because of the fear that they could catch bike tires and cause accidents. "I think they felt that we'll let it crack naturally," said Rasch, emphasizing that he believed the city's position to be not unreasonable.
Another concern that was voiced at Monday's meeting--loose fencing in spots--has already been addressed, Rasch said.
Questions about the velodrome arose at a time when city officials are dealing with confirmed problems with the surface of the new Dream Playground. Those issues are now in the hands of attorneys.
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