CUDAHY, Wis. — The fight is on in Cudahy to save one of Milwaukee County’s most cherished parks from crumbling into Lake Michigan.
Sheridan Park’s bluff has been slowly eroding. But now, the damage is accelerating — threatening the Oak Leaf Trail, city infrastructure, and even nearby homes.
Watch: Residents push to save Sheridan Park bluff as erosion nears Oak Leaf Trail
Mary McChesney sees it every day. She’s lived in Cudahy for 16 years, uses the park daily, and helps with the Sheridan Park Friends group. She walks, bikes, watches strollers pass, cross-country teams train, and marathon runners race down the Oak Leaf Trail. The year-round traffic is constant.
“it's really important that we keep this trail. I mean, it's, it's part of a trail that goes all across the city. It's wonderful.”
She says April’s heavy rains, followed by hurricane-like winds, ripped away huge trees that helped stabilize the bluff. Now, the edge sits close to the Oak Leaf Trail — a route where people walk every day, run races, and bike miles along Milwaukee County’s shoreline.
“When we had that five-inch rain in April, it really, a lot of the bluff, it sloughed off. And then we had that big wind… it took a huge tree, and as you can see behind me, there's a tree that's broken off, and the trees were, you know, 60-70 feet high, so it really allowed more of the bluff to slough off.”
McChesney’s group has launched a petition to demand immediate action, calling the situation an emergency. They’re rallying public support at a town hall next week, Tuesday, May 19 at Cudahy Family Library from 6-8.
For people like Nate Hecker, who runs the Oak Leaf Trail almost daily, the thought of losing it is devastating.
“We want this trail to be here for many more years to come, in generations, because it's just a great trail, and Sheridan Parks is just a great park to be around.”
Hecker has raced here, trained here, and says events along the trail connect communities across the county — from Cudahy to South Milwaukee and beyond. Losing any section means losing a hub of activity for runners, walkers, bikers, and dog owners.
Milwaukee County Supervisor Steven Shea says the bluff’s health has been graded an “F” — meaning imminent danger. Shea estimates it will cost $20 million to stabilize Sheridan Park’s shoreline.
“Milwaukee County Parks has graded the health of this bluff, F, so we are in imminent danger of more of the cliff, bluff, whatever you want to call it, literally going downhill.”
Shea says the county had money in the budget for cliff stabilization last fall, but it was pulled due to cost overruns from the jail and Milwaukee County Transit.
The problem? Milwaukee County doesn’t have that kind of money lying around, according to Shea. He hopes FEMA funding can cover the cost before the erosion gets worse.
If the bluff collapses all the way to the street, Cudahy Mayor Ken Jankowski says it becomes a city nightmare.
“I’ve got all kinds of infrastructure in this road, I've got water, I've got sewer, I've got electrical, I got storm sewer. I mean, even though it's only 60 or 65 feet from there to there. Seems like a lot, but it really isn't.”
Pressed on whether this is the right time to act, Jankowski didn’t mince words.
“No, we're behind the eight ball here, in my opinion. This should have been addressed years ago.”
City and county leaders plan to meet soon to craft a plan of attack. Residents hope it’s not too late to save one of the South Shore’s gems — where people run, bike, walk, and race along one of Milwaukee County’s most loved paths.
“We want to save our bluff, we want to save our Oak Leaf Trail," said McChesney.
A town hall will take place on Tuesday, May 19, at Cudahy Family Library from 6-8 p.m.
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