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Grafton Dam meeting, public comment; motion passed to repair dam
The future of a Grafton landmark was up for debate on Monday night, Aug. 3, after a mechanical failure left the Bridge Street Dam inoperable.
GRAFTON, Wis. - The Grafton Village Board passed a motion to repair the Grafton dam and solicit bids. The decision came after three hours of public comment, featuring no time limit for public comment and a packed high school auditorium.
Public comment
What we know:
The Grafton Village Board opened up the floor to hear what people want the future of the dam to be.
"It really has a historic value to it," Reink King said.
Grafton dam repairs approved by village board after public debate
In May, village officials said a hydraulic cylinder failed, causing water to rush through one side of the dam. What used to be covered in water became an eyesore to people who live alongside it.
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"I consider it kind of a safety hazard," Laura Hildebrandt said. "A lot of people are climbing around it and I don’t think it’s necessarily safe. It’s also attracting a lot more birds and geese."
Hildebrandt said the water feature was why she moved here. She wants the dam to stay.
Grafton dam repairs approved by village board after public debate
"I think it is going to affect all of Grafton property value wise and let's face it fiscally that is going to affect Grafton," Hildebrandt said.
People who want the dam removed say it no longer has a function and are frustrated continuing to spend money on it. Folks against the dam say removing it now will save money down the road.
"Removing the dam is not going to take water from Grafton," Linda Dean said. "We will still have the river. We will have a healthy river that supports wildlife."
Grafton dam repairs approved by village board after public debate
Repairing the dam
What's next:
Repairing the dam is estimated to cost up to $180,000. To remove the dam, it could have cost up to $2 million.
As for what is next, the board will now start to solicit bids.
Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s Christina Van Zelst and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from Grafton village officials, Reink King, Laura Hildebrandt, Linda Dean and FOX6 News.