White Water Creek Bridge - Bergfeld
i5~~~E
~~~
MEMORANDUM
January 24, 2006
TO:
The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM:
Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: New Site for Historic White Water Creek Bridge
Planning Services Manager Laura Carstens recommends City Council approval to
proceed with a new site in the Bergfeld Recreation Area for relocation of the historic
White Water Creek Bridge. This new site crosses the pond on the north side of the
Bergfeld Recreation Area.
The bridge was to be located on the overflow spillway for the detention pond in the
Bergfeld Recreation Area. The bridge would be over grass except for the occasional
times when the pond may overflow the spillway during flooding. It is now recommended
that the bridge be located across the pond to the north of the fishing piers, closer to the
pavilion, parking lot and new rest rooms, where the detention pond narrows, and
basically connect the walkway on each side of this narrow stretch of the pond. By
crossing over water, the bridge will become a focal point for the park. It will be utilized
more by the public than if it were off to the side of the path on the spillway. It will also
highlight the City's preservation efforts in re-using the bridge as a bridge. The new site
should be more cost-effective and won't slow down the project.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
I1j~AI~
Michael C. Van Milligen --
MCVM/jh
Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, Corporation Counsel
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Laura Carstens, Planning Services Manager
DU~~E
~<k~
MEMORANDUM
January 23, 2006
TO:
FROM:
Michael Van Milligen, City Manager
Laura Carstens, Planning Services Manager -ff~
SUBJECT: New Site for Historic White Water Creek Bridge
Introduction
The purpose of this memo is to request City Council approval to proceed with a new site
in the Bergfeld Recreation Area for relocation of the historic White Water Creek Bridge.
Background
This historic bridge was constructed in 1872 as part of an approach span for a bridge
over the Mississippi River at Dubuque (see enclosed drawing). It later was relocated to
White Water Creek near Cascade. In the 1990's Dubuque County determined the
bridge was no longer able to handle vehicular traffic, and had to be replaced. In 1998,
the City of Dubuque agreed to accept ownership of the bridge from Dubuque County,
and to preserve it through reuse on a bike/hike trail in the city.
The State Historic Preservation Office has awarded a $30,000 grant to the City for
relocation of the historic bridge from the Cascade area to a site along the walkway in
the Bergfeld Recreation Area in Dubuque Industrial Center West (see enclosed map).
The State grant will help fund the City's consulting engineer, NNW Inc., to conduct a
structural analysis of the bridge, to develop specifications for moving the bridge to
Dubuque, and to prepare construction plans for the new bridge abutments in the
Bergfeld Recreation Area. NNW also will prepare specifications for rehabilitation of the
bridge in accordance with federal standards for historic structures. The cost of moving
the bridge and constructing the abutments are included in the project budget.
Rehabilitation will be accomplished as a future phase, hopefully with another grant.
Discussion
City staff evaluated several sites in the community for relocation of the historic bridge
before determining that the Bergfeld Recreation Area was the most compatible.
Originally, staff recommended that the bridge be located on the overflow spillway for the
detention pond in the Rec Area. The bridge would be over grass except for the
occasional times when the pond may overflow the spillway during flooding.
White Water Creek Bridge
Page 2
NNW has contacted the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) about a
floodplain development permit for the spillway site. The IDNR informed us that there is
a 4-5 month wait on any permits they are issuing at this time which will put this project
behind schedule.
IDNR is going to check the dam outlet capacity to make sure that the decreased
spillway area will be allowed. If not, we will have to raise the bridge elevation (maximum
of 5') and build up the dirt on each end of the bridge, thus making the abutments larger
and requiring more fill material.
Also, the cost for sidewalks to connect the bridge to the walkway around the pond is
substantial due to requirements to comply with ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act).
Consequently, City staff asked NNW to see if the bridge could be located across the
pond to the north of the fishing piers, closer to the pavilion, parking lot, and new rest
rooms, where the detention pond narrows, and basically connect the walkway on each
side of this narrow stretch of the pond.
NNW has learned that if we set the bridge over the pond instead of the spillway, IDNR
does not have to look at it since there would be minimal hydraulic changes due to the
construction. This will shorten IDNR review and keep the project on schedule.
The sidewalk connections to the walkway around the pond are considerably shorter with
the new site across the pond. Also, the bridge abutments should be less costly.
Upon consultation, Leisure Services staff, Economic Development staff, and Greater
Dubuque Development Corporation staff all are supportive of relocating the bridge to
the site that crosses the pond. Enclosed is an aerial map that shows the original site
and the new site for relocation of the bridge.
Recommendation
I recommend that the City proceed with relocating the bridge to the new site that
crosses the pond on the north side of the Bergfeld Rec Area. By crossing over water,
the bridge will become a focal point for the park. It will be utilized more by the public
than if it were off to the side of the path on the spillway. It will also highlight the City's
preservation efforts in re-using the bridge as a bridge. The new site should be more
cost effective and won't slow down the project.
Requested Action
The requested action is for the City Council to authorize City staff to proceed with
relocating the White Water Creek Bridge to the new site that crosses the pond.
Enclosures
cc GiI Spence, Leisure Services Manager
Bob Schiesl, Assistant City Engineer
c.
ns
::::E .~
r::::: /] ]
o ,f!
:;:; ,j '::, ,
n:I I, ". i i
U 1" w w ·
o I," - 1 " "'~ ~
...J ' 'j 1- T- ,~,--
__~I / I ' I
CI) r ~V)'\/- -:_L !
~ 1 - ,\ \)- .
~ I,
._ " ' , \
... _{ J I -'" __, -\
\__1 _ ~ 1 -l./-\
m \ --,'~ ~S-,<-
-1- I ! -7'---1.
~ ' _ 1 ::-'~,J ~ ('+:'1
(1)' 0 \, 1\ _ ) ~ -- L__ -1--
/~, ) _d \ N j ,,1- _..A L ,,-
-' '" r-i,' J" _ / ' ' - ~ I I \ I~.~ "~~ ' ,,~
. I C _ \ -1-- - 1 I '
_ .' I I I" -," n.,
o s',/ /_' -:I:' i-i \ IT' _"L
1'" -~1/ ~-'__ -, _I-~ _~___,t
..... ,A _ r~ '. t c ' ~
~ ~I'" r; ~ ' 'r "I, ' )/f' -1\ ~
'; s: /'---r-t,[I-, '" T W r')\ ;" _', T / l"-, ~
_ I I ]\ 'J il~ _ \' i \1' ,
(1)- j ( , 1--, r T r' 1Ji., tr - r jt I, I
_ If" _,_ uJ" ,,_.1._'\.- ' N
I:E /J')! ,Ii ,l- I .1 \ --I,_,~~_]=~T,i'{r,)- j=-';;'j
-,:> / ,L, ] ,- J__ +- f-- -- _J I ~ -" 0
__ > Q) I I, - l -' 11l I'
(.1(/ - ; '~ \ I _____ ,_ -- -,(, -1-- I I: - ~ I - (
",',' " ~ ~ \.' ) - - - ~ ' "
~I;:_-;-'" '/1\: 1(/ rl/ \', N
'r _L_, . 1-.-_. I r- Jz! 'I
) '7 '1\
...,....""."."'...a'.a....."..,.Q......."....""..'..a'......o,...",...",.".".,......"."'.,"...o..,...."-..,na........
.uNClOO 3flOnana
GIIIfIIlOlil.lO".;n1lifl~'OfOllA.1N"u.lNOll3lllalil.l.\lJll3JJttlll_dS
U81 3!)QIH8 >t33H::> H3.I>>'M. 3l.IHM
AJ.INI::>I^ QH\fNY38
......"'..........."i..-..........'""
.L::>3r(iid"aNl'mio'b3tl
S3001~8 ::>IWOl.SIH\IM01
~66j 'l/:}!Jd'tv "rU/eJ!II,..a.n'""""
(1'1 Br91}r'1 <i-,OZ
~~ ~
I-.f:: ~
..~
00 ...
..... ~
~...
~
... "
\,') ~. w ]
... ~
~ v~~ ~ ~ ~
I> w
0 % ~
- 0 0
0
0 0
"
0
~
oll
~
~
~ ~ 'w
,
i 5 -
~ ~
~ !l1
~ ~ I
l\i
~
'" lli
, ,
< - ~
<
.
" ~
...'"
~ ~ t: ~
-= 1I
L- ~
- ;;:
'it
.;' ...
~ ...
~ ~
~ ~
.~ . !
~ ~ ~
.. ~ .
~ ... ~ ~
~ . ~
~ ~
~ E ~
~
~ ~ . !
~"
.'
c'
~ . ~ ~~
~ 0 .w
... ~
0 ~lii 'l3
~ ~ 5~
: .. ~
~ .~
W ~ ~~ ~
_W
~ 0,
~ , ~~ i
~ ~ . OU
~ ~_. ;~ "'
"
~ ~ ii ~~
" . ~
~ .. << "
~ "6 ~8
~ ~ (l'I!Onilj./19,LI ~
'" . ..,
.., (1'1 96'<;;)}:':/19 ,61 :'l g
:'l ~ ~ ",0
"' 0 0
c.
co
:E
c:
o
--
.... "
~~
~ 0" '"
..J
~
,-(1) C1l r
C)~g-
"C 8
(~ ~
/~ f .
~. 55\/;
1:;
....
co
'7 3: ~/
-(1)-
....
'i __
-.t:
~3:
)-
c:
C ,2
o roo
~ 0
is -'
-' Q)
Q) 0>
0> "C
:g ~
lD "C
0> Q)
c: '"
.- 8-
~ 0
>-.l:i a:
~~~
>>
. -
---'-- C
:J
o
U
c
o
fJ)
-'"
o
CU
-,
:J
o
,
fJ)
~
~
'<t
. fJ)
'Q)
c 0
o
-,
N
y Z
~
4
rA~:
<(
W
0::
<(
Z
o
o~ -
w ....
zww~
Qo::::z:o::
....0....0
<(o::ow
uw....o::
0.... c
uj~ ...J
0::> W
W LL
.... "
- 0::
::z: w
3: m
w
C)
c
0::
LLm