Anclam Park Renovations Subject of Debate

Residents expressed concern with the sand dunes that are part of the plan to better manage storm water and combat erosion at Anclam Park in Baileys Harbor. Photo by Katie Sikora.

About 20 Baileys Harbor residents walked, biked, and drove down to Anclam Park on June 7 to express concern with how the renovations at the park’s beach are proceeding.

Letters and emails had been circulating throughout the town for the last week, calling attention to issues that residents had with the Phase One installation of the beach’s new sand dunes and an improved stormwater management system. Both of the installations are being made to help improve water quality and combat erosion at the beach.

Many residents believed that the dunes, which currently rise up about four feet off the beach, were simply too high, obscuring beach-goers’ views of the water. While some disliked the aesthetics the dunes create, others pointed out that parents in the beach’s picnic area would not be able to see their children if they were playing by the water.

Town Engineer Steve Parent listened to the concerns and assured those at the meeting that the work at the beach was not yet completed.

“The one thing I would suggest is letting us finish this phase because the beach is going to look very different than it does now,” said Parent.

Among the parts of the project yet to be completed, two of them would potentially help with the line of sight issue. More sand is going to be added to the beach beyond the dunes, which will hopefully raise the line of sight from parents to children, and the beach’s parking lot is going to be raised six inches, which will improve the scenic view of the water.

In addition, a decision was made at the meeting to reduce the height of two of the sand dunes that are located next to the picnic area.

Right now, work on the beach has stopped while the town seeks DNR approval of changes to the stormwater management system that is being put in place. Those changes were also a point of contention.

Scott and Nancy Isaacson, whose son and daughter-in-law own the 57 Depot property adjacent to the beach’s north edge, said that their family was not notified of the newly added storm drain which will discharge about 10 feet from their children’s property.

Other residents expressed concern both over the fact that the Isaacsons weren’t notified, and the fact that the town began construction on the changed system without first filing the amended plan with the DNR.

Parent and Town Chairman Donald Sitte assured the Isaacsons that they would consult with them and re-evaluate the placement of the storm drain. As for the issue with the DNR, Parent said that he is confident it will be resolved and that he expects the amended plan to be approved.

According to residents John Christensen and Carol Williams, whose property forms the northernmost part of the beach, the new stormwater management system has already helped combat the beach’s erosion problem.

“I went out after the first rain, and it did what it was supposed to do,” said Williams. “There was no run off.”

Construction at the beach will move forward if and when the DNR approves the amended renovation plan.

Correction: A correction was amended to this article on June 18. In the original article, ownership of the 57 Depot was attributed to Scott and Nancy Isaacson. That property is owned by their children, Barbara and Cameron.