Windsor’s Riverside Drive needs nicer fencing: Coun. Irek Kusmierczyk

Fences along Riverside Drive should be upgraded to have more curb appeal, according to Coun. Irek Kusmierczyk.

Fences alone Riverside Drive should be upgraded in a more pleasing way, according to one Windsor city councillor.

Coun. Irek Kusmierczyk thinks the chain link fences on both public and private properties should be upgraded to decorative fencing on the north and south side along Riverside Drive. He made a request to city staff at the Feb. 6 council meeting, asking them to consider changing an existing program to allow property owners to share the cost of replacing the rusted fencing with the city.

Currently, there are no specific guidelines on fence design along Riverside Drive, but property owners are encouraged to use low fences, walls, berms and other landscape elements.

“Just beautify the community a little bit,” said Ward 7 Coun. Kusmierczyk. “Beautify the neighborhood and elevate the quality on Riverside Drive.”

Residential private properties would not require as much upgrading to their fences. According to a city report, the majority of homeowners have already installed a decorative fence or walls with vegetation.

“A lot of private property owners, they really do a nice job of taking care of their front yards and putting up nice decorative fence,” said Kusmierczyk.

The main issue is industrial and commercial properties, along with some city properties.

“It is just not a reflection of the quality and standard that we expect from Riverside Drive, which is really a jewel, in terms of our road system,” said Kusmierczyk.

The whole upgrading process is ongoing, according to Thom Hunt, the city planner who will gather more data on costs, benefits and more for another report.

“So council want us to have a look at the fencing along Riverside Drive and determine whether there are opportunities to make them more attractive,” said Hunt.

Kusmierczyk said once council gets the report back, the next step might be implementing. He also said any fencing upgrade process wouldn’t affect residents’ ordinary life.

“It would have no impact on residents, pedestrian and cyclist or anybody using the sidewalks,” said Kusmierczyk. “It would simply beautify the existing fence, would upgrade the existing fence, and reflect the fact that it’s a scenic drive.”

On the issue of potential costs, Kusmierczyk pointed to the Sandwich Town Community Improvement Plan as an example.

“That actually has a tool, an instrument, in it,” he said. “That allows, for example, the city to partner with commercial and industrial property owners and share the cost of improving the fence that is already exists.”

He said this cost-sharing program between the city and commercial industrial owners should be expanded to Riverside Drive as well.

Hunt said it is hard to estimate the cost. But, according to one official document, providing decorative fencing for private property is $15 to $20 per linear foot. For public property, it costs about five times that.

Windsor resident Patty Soucie agrees there should be a change.

“I do agree they can be upgraded,” said Soucie. “I want it can still be see through easily, so the kids can see the water, the fish.”