Marquette mayor says city needs to fix crumbled retaining wall
For over eight years, a crumbled retaining wall on North Street in Marquette has been an eyesore, according to mayor Larry Breuer. It came down because of heavy rain, he said, but was never repaired. Now, he hopes the city can fix it. (Photo by Audrey Posten)
By Audrey Posten, North Iowa Times Editor
For over eight years, a crumbled retaining wall on North Street in Marquette has been an eyesore, according to mayor Larry Breuer. It came down because of heavy rain, he said, but was never repaired. Speaking to the Marquette Council at its July 19 meeting, Breuer said he hopes the city can do something to fix it, as both residents and visitors are noticing.
Breuer said a resolution from 2007 regarding retaining walls stated the city would not build them unless absolutely necessary. Otherwise, a property owner would have to make a request to build one, then bear the cost.
The wall is in the city’s right-of-way, though, Breuer said, adding that he thinks the city should take responsibility for it. The property owners have already given the go-ahead, and one has even sent funds to go toward the project, he noted.
“In my opinion, the resolution is offensive to taxpayers,” he said. “We spend millions to bring tourists to town, but I think citizen concerns should come first.”
Councilman John Ries said the council proposed reconstructing the wall once before, while also encouraging a property owner to re-route their gutter and remove a tree, which had contributed to the wall’s deterioration, as well. However, the plan stalled, he said, because the property owner was not willing to take those steps.
“It didn’t move forward because the integrity of the wall would still be an issue,” Ries said, even if it was repaired.
Other council members noted the property owner was still unwilling to remove the tree and re-route the gutter.
“What’s the solution?” questioned Breuer, wondering if removing the vines clogging the wall, as well as making water run over the top of the wall, would prevent further issues. “It’s not the home owner’s fault. It’s the weather and trash collected in the ditch.”
Breuer said he’s already had several people take a look at the wall, with one estimating repairs around $4,000 to $4,500. But he felt he could perform the job himself, using the rocks already there, for $2,500. However, council members advised that is not allowed.
“It takes more than just saying we’re going to fix it,” said councilwoman Pam Brodie-Fitzgerald. “It’s not simple.”
The council ended the discussion agreeing to get bids for the project from several local contractors.
Shelter reservations
Citing a recent wedding at the city’s overlook, at the foot of Emma Big Bear Trail (the old bridge approach), Breuer questioned whether the city should set up a reservation system for the overlook, boardwalk and riverfront shelter, similar to regulations regarding the city park shelter. Then, people could be assured the structures would be available for use.
The council talked about charging, for example, $25 for a reservation, but did not take the discussion further, as they wanted to know if closing the overlook or boardwalk to the public would be allowed since federal Byways dollars were a large portion of funding for the project.
