Taxpayers face $60K bill for poor engineering by developer

Maricopa taxpayers could face a $60,000 bill to replace 6,000 square feet of deteriorating decorative pavers at the entrance to Rancho El Dorado next time city council meets.

The decision to fix the roadway was tabled by council at last night’s regular meeting after they rejected Public Works Director Bob Jackson’s suggestion to remove the pavers and replace them with asphalt concrete instead of the more costly bricks.

“I don’t think it’s fair to the residents,” said Councilmember Will Dunn, who was in agreement with other members of council that the pavers were part of the attraction to residents who moved into the community.

Jackson said replacing the pavers would be more expensive than his proposed option because they would have to pull the bricks, correct their engineering and replace them with new ones. He said it would be difficult to match the bricks, and salvaging existing bricks would be more costly than replacing them all.

Jackson said one of the problems with the roadway was that it was built before the incorporation of the city and that there was no regulation to insure the interlocking pavers were installed properly.

He said that the city does not allow these types of roadways very often now because they only work with the right application, and, he said, this was the wrong application.

“Sometimes developers are interested in the decorative look rather than the long term application,” said Jackson.

Vice Mayor Brent Murphree said most of them understand it to be an engineering problem, but, like most members of council, he wants to see other options before they make a decision.

Rancho El Dorado Homeowners Association President Jeff Kramarczyk said that residents are willing to compromise. He said they are looking for a decorative replacement, but not “like” decorative.

Jackson said he understands residents’ concerns, and he will look into alternatives, but that council needs to make a decision soon.

“The problem is getting worse; we need to fix it,” Jackson said.