Posted on September 10, 2020
ANGOLA — Steuben County Commissioners tried to tie a decorative project on the Lake Gage-Lime Lake bridge to a dredging project but held off on advice of the county attorney on Monday.
Commissioners did approve allowing the Lake Gage Historical Association to install decorative lights on the bridge, which is on the National Historic Register, as long as the association agreed to pay for any damage caused to the bridge from the installation.
Before granting the approval, however, resident Bob Magley said if the commissioners granted the lights, they should also push for the dredging project, which has been approved by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources through its Lake and River Enhancement Fund projects.
“That channel absolutely has to be cleaned,” Commissioner Jim Crowl said, then suggesting the lights could not go on the bridge until the channel beneath it get dredged.
“I don’t think you can make one contingent on the other,” said Don Stuckey, county attorney.
Tom Riethmiller, president of the association, said he opposed the dredging because it could possibly harm the historic bridge structure and thought boaters would not follow proper speed through the passage way. He also indicated that the level beneath the water was original.
Commissioner Lynne Liechty disagreed.
“Sediment has built up. It’s not original as it was in the ‘30s,” she said.
Steuben County Highway Engineer Jen Sharkey said studies have been conducted on how close the dredging could get to the bridge without damaging it. This was provided to the DNR as part of the LARE grant process.
The dredging originally was supposed to start last week. However, the project was put on hold because enough residents, reportedly from Lake Gage, pushed for a public hearing, which is allowed under DNR rules.
Magley said had the hearing not been pushed for, the project would have started last week.
The DNR has been trying to determine a way to hold a hearing, but due to restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it has not yet occurred.
When it came to the dredging itself, the commissioners agreed to send a letter to the DNR, strongly recommending it be done.
Lake and River Enhancement funds come from the fees boat owners pay with their registration. The money goes to a variety of lake and stream projects, including dredging, that improve recreation for the public.
Grant recipients must pay a match of at least 20% of the project cost.
Source: kpcnews
