City Gives Final OK to Get Diggin' on South Barstow

Tom Giffey |

All systems are finally a go for the reconstruction of South Barstow Street. On May 14, the Eau Claire City Council voted unanimously to approve a $1.65 million contract with Haas Sons of Thorp to rebuild a five-block stretch of downtown Eau Claire’s main drag this summer. Construction will begin as early as Tuesday, May 28 – the day after Memorial Day. The street is slated to reopen to vehicle traffic Aug. 17; the contractor will pay a $5,000 penalty per day if the project is late and will get a $5,000 bonus per day (up to a total of $50,000) if the project finishes early. Final touches – such as clay pavers in the boulevards – won’t be done until Sept. 13, and trees and other greenery don’t have to be planted until Oct. 31, deputy city engineer Doug Derks said.

The City Council’s action came in the nick of time: On April 23, the council had delayed OK’ing the project because some property owners raised concerns about the street and sidewalk design. In particular, some owners objected to ground-level street-side planted areas (known as “parklets”) and mid-block “bumpouts” where the curb curves into the street. However, after two marathon meetings about the street design, the South Barstow Street Business Improvement District Board – which comprises representatives of businesses on the street – voted 11-2 to back the plan as proposed by city staffers. Likewise, the Downtown Eau Claire Inc. Board voted 17-0 to support the plan.

At the May 14 council meeting, Derks told council members that altering the design at such a late date would be difficult. A motion by Councilwoman Monica Lewis to modify the plan based on changes requested by a number of property owners – including developer John Mogensen and his partner, Lisa Aspenson, who own numerous buildings on the street – was defeated on a 9-2 vote.

Councilman David Strobel, who owns an insurance business on South Barstow Street, said that while he is reluctant to tell owners what they can and cannot do in front of their properties, he believes that the months-long design process had offered plenty of opportunities to give input on the design and had already led to some changes. Councilwoman Kathy Mitchell also voiced support for the original plan and criticized property owners who stepped in at the 11th hour to “try to throw a wrench in the process.”

The council then voted unanimously to back the project, lauding what it can do to revitalize downtown. “This street is our street, more than any other street in Eau Claire,” Councilman David Klinkhammer said.

The $1.65 million contract includes two smaller amounts – $37,800 for a sound system and $37,500 for an irrigation system – that will be paid for by the South Barstow BID, not the city.  In addition, the council unanimously approved a $116,000 bid from Lighting Design Solutions of Schofield for light poles on South Barstow Street. Plans call for 18 16-foot teardrop-shaped lights and 10 30-foot shoebox-shaped lights. The new lights will be LEDs, which use less energy compared with the current high-pressure sodium streetlights.