Funding for Part of Coal Dock Renovation Project Falls Through

Dreams of a pedestrian bridge connecting the north coal dock to the south coal dock — running across We Energies intake channel — have been put on hold until at least 2012.

Port Washington city officials had been hoping the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program would award partial funding for the project, which is estimated to cost $285,000.

The Coastal Management Program initially told the city the project was being recommended at 40 percent funding ($114,000). However, City Engineer Rob Vanden Noven and City Administrator Mark Grams met with the selection committee Jan. 26 and the project was removed from the list of those that would be funded this year.

The program instead decided to fund three smaller projects in other communities.

Vanden Noven said it was an understandable decision, explaining the committee would like to see more progress on the project as a whole before funding the pedestrian bridge.

"They felt it was something that could wait a year," he said.

Other parts of the project include a bird sanctuary on the south coal dock area, and developing the north coal dock area into a recreational area with a walking path along the water.

The city plans to reapply for funding for the pedestrian bridge in February 2012.