3/22/13 - The city of Brighton could end up having to spend $700,000 or more to dredge the Mill Pond, a favorite downtown attraction for both residents and visitors alike. The picturesque Mill Pond has been a magnet, drawing people to the downtown area for years â people who then often shop and dine while they are in the downtown area. But in the last few years, with periodic dry spells and invasive species coming in such as the purple loosestrife â and with tight budgets that reduced the number of chemical treatments to inhibit the growth of algae â the Mill Pond hasnât always looked its best. Last year, after numerous complaints from the public about the weed-choked status of the Mill Pond, the city restored the number of chemical treatments to the level in prior years, and the complaints subsided. But treating the water doesnât solve the basic problem â that being a huge amount of dead, decaying vegetation at the bottom of the pond that needs to be removed. And the most efficient, although expensive, way to remove it is by dredging. Council voted to direct City Manager Dana Foster to consult with City Engineer Gary Markstrom of Tetra Tech before proceeding any further with the matter. City Attorney Paul Burns warned that dredging sometimes can uncover problems the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality would require the city to pay for correcting, such as contaminants at the bottom. Burns gave as an example the situation that occurred in 2011 at the Imagination Station Playground â where arsenic was found in the soil. The city immediately closed the playground and embarked on an extensive mitigation program. With the help of many volunteers, the playground was reopened the following spring and the cleanup cost was kept to a minimum. A body of water like the Mill Pond, however, is a different matter. City Manager Dana Foster says Tim Corrigan of Corrigan Oil Co. and Corrigan Development has offered to donate $300,000 toward the cost of dredging, but that is contingent on no contaminants being found. (TT)
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