The Chippewa River near Water Street.

Eau Clairians will soon have a new way to enjoy the view of – and get to and from – the Chippewa River near Water Street. The Eau Claire City Council voted nearly unanimously Tuesday to OK plans by the Water Street Business Improvement District to build a 45-foot-by-30-foot overlook and deck at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Menomonie Street. The deck will be linked to the river by a pathway, which supporters say will provide access for tubers and other river users who now have limited options for getting back and forth to the water.

The deck and trail project was first suggested in 2009, but the idea had languished for five years until this spring. Now that the council has given its thumbs up, construction could begin as soon as this summer.

The project will be paid for by Water Street-area businesses, but construction required city approval. The deck and trail project was first suggested in 2009, but the idea had languished for five years until this spring. Now that the council has given its thumbs up, construction could begin as soon as this summer after backers iron out a few details with city engineers.

While the project has been promoted as a way to foster river recreation, safety worries were a sticking point in the council’s discussion. At a hearing Monday, Police Chief Jerry Staniszewski and Fire Chief Lyle Koerner expressed skepticism about increasing river access so close to taverns and strong river currents. These concerns led City Councilwoman Catherine Emmanuelle to propose an amendment at Tuesday’s meeting that would have removed the trail from the plan.

Several council members, notably Eric Larsen, a former deputy police chief, spoke strongly in favor of the amendment. Larsen said that drunk people who may be in danger of wandering into the water and drowning will do so at easy access points – such as the proposed trail – rather than by climbing down the riverbank.

However, the majority of council members said the benefits of the privately funded, publicly accessible project outweighed the potential hazards. “If you put something off limits, it creates more weird behavior,” said Councilman David Klinkhammer. “You can’t legislate morality; you can’t legislate stupidity.”

Councilwoman Kathy Mitchell agreed, saying the project is good for river users and for merchants. “We should build this trail and work to make it a safe place, partly by developing a culture of use along Water Street,” Mitchell said. She suggested installing something akin to a bike rack that tubers could tie their crafts to when they exited the river.

Ultimately, Emmanuelle’s amendment failed 7-3, and the council voted 9-1 to approve the project, with Larsen casting the lone dissenting vote.

Wave to the tubers! (A concept drawing from 2012.)