Truxtun Heights residents urge council to prioritize footbridge repairs, oppose proposed floating dock at Pump House Road

Cindy Domasi, a Truxtun Heights resident, told the City Council she supports proposed trail and waterfront stabilization work in Truxtun Park but urged the city to address a damaged footbridge connecting Truxtun Heights to Pumphouse Road, calling the bridge “a safety issue.”

Domasi praised the capital budget’s inclusion of trail repairs and shoreline stabilization but said the neighborhood’s footbridge has deteriorated after storms and is uneven, making it hazardous for children and others. “It’s uneven. … I just am afraid that there’s going to be some issues,” she said.

Domasi also told the council that 24 neighbors signed a letter last August opposing a proposed floating dock and paddleboard/kayak facility at the end of Pumphouse Road. She said the site’s water levels can become mudflats and that earlier water-quality testing indicated high E. coli and coliform bacteria counts; she also noted there are no nearby parking or restroom facilities to support a public waterfront launch.

“This is something that our neighborhood…felt this would not be a good use of the city funds,” Domasi said, urging the council to prioritize repairing the footbridge over the floating dock proposal.

Councilors did not take action during the public hearing; the comments were recorded as part of the capital budget and appropriation public hearing. Domasi asked the council to consider speeding design or repair timelines for the footbridge and to factor water depth, water-quality monitoring and public access facilities into decisions about any floating dock or launch.

The transcript does not include a response from department staff about whether the footbridge is specifically budgeted or the status of any Department of Natural Resources permit application for the proposed floating dock.