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Riverfront wall holes expose need for repairs

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Pictured is just one portion of the Lawler Park riverfront wall that has large holes in need of repair soon, to save more of the stone structure from deteriorating. (Submitted photo)

By Correne Martin

The severity of the gaping holes in Prairie du Chien’s Lawler Park riverfront wall has ignited a sense of urgency for the city council. The many deteriorating areas must be patched to fix the erosion caused by years of waves slapping against the stone wall. 

Having previously allocated $100,000 to patch the current, burgeoning holes made apparent for the second consecutive summer when the river water dropped, the Prairie du Chien Common Council, Tuesday night, approved moving forward with repairing the holes immediately. Bids will be entertained first and then the work will be done as soon as possible.

“It’s not helping to leave them because it erodes faster,” stated alderman and public works committee chair Todd Myers. 

A more contemplative question was posed during Tuesday’s meeting as well. “If that wall collapses and someone dies, are we insured?” Alderman Edward Hayes-Hall asked. 

City Planner Garth Frable and City Attorney Lara Czajkowski Higgins both shook their heads “no.”

“When the bollard got pulled out of the wall, you were not insured,” Frable answered. 

Hayes-Hall replied, “So then, are we liable?”

Czajkowski Higgins gave her advice, saying it’s a recipe for disaster “if you see something that’s a known potential problem and you choose to ignore it.”

By next boating season, Myers said he expects the slow, no-wake buoys to be extended from in front of the Lawler Park riverfront wall into the Prairie du Chien Township’s river right-of-way. The city and the town are collaborating to make that happen. 

These decisions are expected to strengthen the stone wall for a longer period. Some city meeting discussions have speculated whether a more extensive, structural overhaul is needed for safety and longevity purposes. Myers said such talk of a “grand repair” might be unnecessary.

“When you need part of a fence repaired, you don’t replace the whole fence,” he quipped.

In the meantime, the council’s concern is an added reminder to river users that they help curtail the deterioration process by abiding by the slow, no-wake rule there. 

Fourth Street 

reconstruction

The shortest route for semi trucks hauling grain to the north end of St. Feriole Island in Prairie du Chien is Fourth Street. An estimated 150 to 200 trucks per day travel this city street for this purpose, according to Tom Nelson, of the Memorial Gardens, a city attraction that has its gateway along Fourth Street. 

“Two and a half million tons of grain was hauled last year,” he told the council. 

Since 1995, when this roadway became an official truck route, it has taken a beating. Because of the heavy traffic and the street’s poor condition, and thanks to a recent Wisconsin Waterways grant awarded to the city, the council is considering budgeting for reconstruction of Fourth Street in 2019. 

Even though, this spring, the council approved $12,000 toward curbing in front of the Memorial Gardens, Nelson informed the council the gardens committee would rather not put the “cart before the horse.” He said efforts should be pointed toward further solidifying the probability of the Fourth Street project first and then reevaluating how that project may impact the gardens. 

Frable shared that half the cost of reconstruction from Blackhawk Avenue to Brisbois Street would come from city boat landing fees and the other half would come from grant money, budgeting or borrowing. 

Hayes-Hall spoke up, with conversations he’s had with constituents on his mind, and asked for clarification about the city’s street project hierarchy.

Frable responded, relaying that a number of factors are considered when prioritizing such needs. He said residential and arterial roads, for example, are weighed differently, while underlying infrastructure age and soundness are also important points to regard. He said the city keeps a list of projects and schedules them also according to grant availability at the time—“in terms of what you can get the most bang out of.” 

“In this case, the street carries so much truck traffic that the street gets so beat up,” he stated. It’s also an economic driver for grain, and we want to support that.”

The council unanimously ended up voting to continue pursuing progress toward the project in hopes that grants will come in and the road can be redone in 2019. The city has one application out now for a grant that considers truck route road projects. 

Sports World project

The council approved an encroachment permit applied for by Yeomans Inc., the family business that runs Sports World and Dyesport in Prairie du Chien. 

Sports World intends to construct a balcony, with an awning, extending out from the main sporting goods store downtown. It will extend 3 feet, 5 inches into the city's right-of-way. The intent is to install an aesthetically-appealing, French Quarter-style addition that will attract more business and saving product inside Sports World's windows from becoming sun-damaged.

Tree City affairs

Also in his capacity with the Memorial Gardens, Nelson made a couple requests regarding the community’s trees that the council approved: a river birch is being planted as a city-sponsored tree and the city will budget $450 for next year to replant some other trees that didn’t grow.

Nelson further requested the city research the possibility of hiring a part-time arborist, or possibly contract services with a college intern, in considering “the next level.” 

“Some of these trees are getting beyond my abilities to care for, but they’re still in the development stage,” he stated. “As a Tree City, I think it’s time now that the city realize the importance of these trees to the community.”

Alderman Todd Crotty asked, in general, if the city has staff already on payroll who could become trained to perform such duties. Parks and Rec Director Mike Ulrich explained, “It’s not that our guys can’t handle these responsibilities, and they have, but I think what Tom’s getting at is hiring a true arborist.”

Council to use tablets

Interim city administrator Chad Abram shared that the council will soon be using new digital tablets instead of paper printouts of agendas and other documents. 

Music Fights Back

The council approved a three-year contract with Music Fights Back for the use of St. Feriole Island, with the stipulation that organizer Jeremy Cuff bring a plan in front of the council every year so the city can determine necessary police force and approve of festival grounds layout.

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