CUDAHY, WI — Lakeside erosion along the Sheridan Park bluff in Cudahy has been growing for years, and Milwaukee County is now taking a major step to address it.
READ ALSO | Residents push to save Sheridan Park bluff as erosion nears Oak Leaf Trail
The Milwaukee County Board approved a resolution this week for a $1.1 million design study and permitting to fix the erosion problem. The study is a key step for Wisconsin Emergency Management to apply for federal funding in the form of a FEMA BRIC grant, Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities, which could pay for the larger project.
Watch: Milwaukee County approves $1.1M study to design and permit plans to fix Sheridan Park bluff erosion
Bari Svoboda, a member of the Friends of Sheridan Park, has watched the erosion worsen over the last decade, particularly as southeast Wisconsin has experienced a difficult year of storms.
"It's kind of devastating to see what could happen with the park itself, with the trail, with the road, and then with the homes," Svoboda said.
The erosion threatens more than the park. The Oak Leaf Trail and Cudahy city infrastructure are also at risk if the bluff continues to deteriorate.
Cudahy Mayor Ken Jankowski said the erosion, while on county land, is dangerously close to city streets. Beneath those roads sit water pipes, electrical equipment, and sanitation infrastructure. Not to mention the homes. Repairs that could cost millions for a city of under 20,000 residents.
"Mother Nature is eventually gonna win, but maybe we can slow her down a little bit, you know, and there are things that we can do or that the county can do to, to mitigate that," Jankowski said.
The effort has been spearheaded by Milwaukee County Supervisor Steven Shea. Svoboda said she hopes the momentum continues and that state and federal decision makers will follow through with funding.
"We're hoping that um all of these steps will kind of fall into place in Domino and there'll be a solution," Svoboda said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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