More than eight years after the dedication of Emeriti Park, Ohio University and a group of retired employees are still looking for the money to install more lights to cover open bases that create a potential safety hazard.
When Emeriti Park was completed, there wasn't enough funding to install all the lights planned, said Richard Shultz, director of implementation, and now the exposed bolts and bases could trip passersby. The estimated cost of installing the additional lights is $75,000.
The Emeriti Association, a group of retired OU professors and staff, helped develop the park to commemorate all OU's emeriti, said Ed Baum, president of the group. The association decided in 2006 to raise the funds with a little help from the university for the installation of these lights.
We have talked with President (Roderick) McDavis on a couple of occasions about sharing this cost
and we have asked the university to come with $35 000 Baum said.
After the Emeriti Association's proposal for $35,000 was turned down, the group thought about raising the money itself, but ultimately suspended fundraising until OU agreed to help, said Joe Tucker, co-chairman of the park committee for the association.
OU installed bases and conduits - pipes leading wires to an electrical distribution panel - for when OU could allot funding. The installation of conduits and bases for outside lighting while waiting for funding of lights is common, Shultz said.
In response to concerns that these unused bases could create a safety hazard, University Planning and Implementation and Environmental Health and Safety will decide either to remove them completely or place caps over them to prevent tripping until the university finds the money for lights.
Because they are off the walkways and there is not much activity in the park after dark, the concrete bases don't offer a significant danger, said Joe Adams, director of Environmental Health and Safety. He added he doesn't think poor lighting is a problem in the park because other forms of illumination exist.
As long as people are following the pathways there is no significant tripping hazard
he said.
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Lucas Bechtol
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The Emeriti Association requested $35,000 and was turned down. Part of this money would have supplied better lighting for the park; as a result, the park did not receive the additional lights.
