City shuts down Sandpoint Beach, pending review
Sandpoint Beach is closing — at least for now.
Windsor city council voted Monday to temporarily shut down access to the city's east-end beach following the recent drowning of a 15-year-old boy.
Instead of moving ahead with a motion to fast-track safety upgrades, council approved a different approach: close the beach immediately, await the results of the coroner's investigation and have administration report back on whether the beach's long-term redevelopment plan can be expedited.
'It wasn't a motion that I put on the table without a lot of thought,' said Ward 6 councillor Jo-Anne Gignac, who introduced the alternate motion.
'We've had nine drownings in the area since 1980. And I think it's time for a good sober pause to consider a number of things.'
Gignac questioned whether relocating the swimming area at Sandpoint Beach, as the redevelopment plan suggests, is enough.
'I'm not convinced that there is a safe way to do it in that area,' she said.
'How many people do we have to watch go into the water and not come out?'
She pointed to comments from the Windsor Port Authority warning that the Detroit River is not safe for swimming — and suggested future redevelopment at Sandpoint could focus on amenities that don't involve getting into the water.
'I think we can do a very, very nice project there that doesn't involve actually getting into the water,' she said.
Ward 7 councillor Angelo Marignani, who represents the area and brought forward the original motion to prioritize funding for safety upgrades, said he supports council's direction and remains committed to seeing improvements made.
'I'll be doing my best to ensure that Sandpoint Beach is a wonderful place for everyone to enjoy,' he said.
'But first and foremost, it has to be safe.'
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