Residents turn sinkhole into community decoration project while waiting for repairs

By Ruta Ulcinaite, Jordan Nagel

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    YPSILANTI, Michigan (WXYZ) — Residents in an Ypsilanti neighborhood are having their fun with a sinkhole that’s been in the area of Roosevelt Street and Cornell Road for years by decorating it as they wait for a fix.

The unexpected community gathering spot transformed the orange barrel eyesore into a festive decoration that changes with each holiday.

“I love it. I’ve always wanted to live in a neighborhood where people do quirky things, and it’s pretty quirky, I would say,” resident Laura Zeff said.

For the past two years, with every holiday comes new decorations to the orange barrel sitting on top of a steel plate covering the crumbling sinkhole. The man behind the effort? Resident Breck Crandell.

“I figured if I’ve gotta look at it every day, I may as well enjoy it,” he said.

Crandell lives right in front of the sinkhole and says this isn’t the first one he has seen around his home.

“I figured if I’ve gotta look at it every day, I may as well enjoy it,” he said.

Crandell lives right in front of the sinkhole and says this isn’t the first one he has seen around his home.

The sinkhole is also preventing residents from parking in front of their homes like Ken Rusiniak, whose family requires assistance.

“I’m looking forward to getting my parking back, all the health care staff that comes for my wife will be able to park in front of my house now,” Rusiniak said.

Even though it has become a place of block parties and community hangouts, residents are starting to wonder what the holdup is for the fix.

“Stormwater is challenging for everybody because it is difficult to fund,” Ypsilanti Director of Public Works Bonnie Wessler said.

Wessler says like many across the city, the sinkhole is caused by a gap in the joint between stormwater drain piping. Some of the pipes are over 100 years old and in need of repair. While necessary, she says the fixes are at times something her department just cannot afford.

“Last year, we bid everything out. We tried to get a contractor in to come and fix it all for us. The total bill for all that would’ve been more than $600,000,” Wessler said.

Wessler bid for the sinkhole repairs again this year and found a contractor who could do the work for half the cost, so the sinkhole will be fixed within the next few months.

However, because there’s no direct funding stream for storm system projects, Wessler says she would like to see that changed to address the deteriorating pipes all across the city.

“It’s expensive to do and right now, we’re in the middle of budget season in the city, so if safe storm systems are a priority, please let your legislators know,” she said.

So what happens to the beloved construction barrel once the sinkhole is fixed? Wessler is tossing around the idea of auctioning it off to fund more storm water projects or simply returning it to the decorator himself.

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