Last week at the monthly steering committee meeting, during public comments, the committee heard a proposal from a former neighborhood resident to support a fence running along the top of the Eau Claire river bank in Boyd Park—from the foot bridge to McGraw Street and up McGraw, just past the playground equipment. The concern was child safety and the river. There used to be a similar (chain link) fence in Boyd Park, but it was removed around 2002 when Boyd Park was revamped.  The individual making the proposal has talked about the fence idea with city officials, and the city has basically said, “We are a city of rivers, not fences.” The committee tended to agree and voted against support.

Here’s an interesting comment from resident Ted Barr responding to the vote and talking about similar issues:

Thank you, steering committee, for not supporting a proposal to fence the part of Boyd Park adjacent to the top of the riverbank.  Fencing there is unnecessary, and would be costly and unsightly.

Last fall, city workers removed the cyclone fencing bordering Forest Hill Cemetery on Heubsch Blvd.  The result is an inclusive, unobstructed view into the green space.  The Dodge St. side of the cemetery is still enclosed with cyclone fence.  I hope you will encourage the Parks and Forestry Department to remove this fence eventually and to put on hold any plans to re-install fencing on Heubsch.

The paver brick retaining wall on Emery St. is another border of the cemetery that needs to be addressed.  A small section of the wall is failing and has needed repair for at least four years.  This unique wall is one of the physical aspects of the Eastside Hill that make it a special place and represents a reuse of a material that constituted the earlier roadway.  Please do what you can to bring it to the attention of Parks and Forestry and insist on a timetable for repair.  Thank you.

As for the Boyd Park fence concept, the individual making the proposal plans to further pursue the issue with the city.