HOUSTON -- Pedestrians and people in wheelchairs may have a tough time navigating a new sidewalk in Southwest Houston.

We found a traffic signal and utility pole sticking out of a handicap ramp on the sidewalk.

The maze lines one side of the new Costco shopping complex along Richmond. The sidewalk is part of Houston's effort to become more pedestrian friendly.

"Well, I'll complain. I'll complain if they don't clean it up," said Gail Heisler after walking around the pole.

Houston City Council Member Peter Brown saw the sidewalk for himself on Thursday.

"Well that's a brand new pole," Brown said. "This is really the dumbest kind of construction I've seen in a long time and you know I'm an architect."

The utility pole appears to be new, but another pole and bike lane sign were there before. It appears the developer just kept them there and poured the new sidewalk around them.

"It's really frightening, it's atrocious that this would happen in a new project," Brown said. "But, you know, you can't blame anybody particularly, except I would blame the city for not having standards."

It turns out the city actually required the new sidewalk to run right through the utility poles to save a row of trees. The developer said the project meets federal guidelines -- except perhaps the blocked handicap ramp.

The final inspection won't take place until the shopping center is finished. If it's in violation, the developer promises to fix it.

"At the end of the day we will have a fully accessible sidewalk," said Craig Cheney, Trammell Crow managing director of retail development.