While work continues on developing Columbus’ downtown riverfront between the Second and Third Street bridges, some people have concerns that were raised during the recent presentation to a joint meeting of the City Council and Redevelopment Commission. The proposal includes a walking and cycling connection taking people under the Second Street bridge and connecting it to Mill Race Park, a white water park, the removal of the low-head dam and stabilizing the banks on the east and west side of the river.
Dennis Tibbetts, with the Sierra Club, says that he is “99-percent excited” about the project, but he and his group have concerns.
Tibbetts says that the bacteria is coming from a tributary of the Driftwood River, which empties into the city’s riverfront. He adds that his group plans on meeting with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to share their data and try to reconcile what he says are inconsistencies in IDEM’s methods and applications in dealing with information that should be acted upon.
City officials say the next public discussion about the riverfront will come in January during another joint meeting of the city council and redevelopment commission.