Residents Target Fox Point Footbridge at Village Board Meeting

For the first time in months, the Bridge Lane Ravine Footbridge was not on the Village Board's agenda. However, that didn't stop three residents from voicing concern that the footbridge is a perpetual cost and that money could be better spent elsewhere. 

"My concern is that Fox Point’s going to spend any money that they have and then we’re going to be stuck without a a couple years from now when that needs to be done," resident Deborah Whittle said. "I’m just concerned that when you guys keep going at this bridge that really only services the people in that general area."

Whittle mentioned the , which had so many people in attendance the crowd spilled out into the hallway. At that meeting, some residents who live near the footbridge commented that it's not just those in close proximity who use the bridge. But Whittle disagrees.

"That meeting was goofy, people don’t come from Minnesota and other areas of the country to go see this bridge," she said. 

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Resident Bob Cory presented the board with a copy of a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article that featured an article about a similar footbridge recently erected at Riverside High School. 

"Total cost for that bridge including engineering, consult, demolition, assembly and installation - $185,000," Cory said. "Hang on to that when you’re looking at the next thing that comes from the engineers at close to $2 million."

And resident Larry Booth, who has written numerous Letters to the Editor regarding the footbridge, also supported Cory's idea for a wood bridge at a lesser cost. 

"This bridge is one-tenth the cost of the bridge that you’ve been talking about. It’s mind boggling to me, this is a fine bridge, it’s a truss bridge, it’s guaranteed for a minimum of 50 years. Think about that," he said. "You could replace that bridge every 50 years for 500 years and still only be at the cost of what you’re paying for this bridge that you’ve been discussing for the last couple of years."

But Village President Michael West pointed out that the bridge in the article was only 97 feet, and the Bridge Lane Rave Footbridge is nearly 300. 

Because the bridge was not considered for action Tuesday, there were only comments from residents and reassurance from West that their concerns were recorded and heard by the trustees.