Jasper City Mill work being examined - Dubois County Free Press, Inc.

collapsed-wall — This wall from the original structure collapsed during the rapid rise and fall of the Patoka River.

Jasper — The Jasper Board of Public works heard some options for repairing the original wall that collapsed on the downstream corner of the mill.

Nick Jahn, VS Engineering, a firm that specializes in hydrological projects, will be contracted to create plans for consideration for the repair of the wall. Jahn informed the board of some different strategies for repairing the wall at the meeting on Tuesday.

The wall is not necessary for the foundation of the new mill; Jahn stated the new mill’s foundation is pinned to bedrock with 24 inch pins. He also explained that the collapsed wall was likely never designed to be a freestanding wall and once the flooring above was removed from the structure above it likely became unstable.

An option being considered included tearing down the rest of the wall, rebuilding it and stabilizing the south bank of the river downstream from the corner. Jahn made a gray recommendation using riprap and a green recommendation using vegetation to stabilize the bank. He estimated planning for the gray recommendation would cost about $14,000, while the green solution would cost about $20,000.

Jahn stated any repairs would run the full gamut of approvals from DNR, Corp of Engineers, and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.

Currently the project will be placed on hold until CityVisions provides the city with a draft of their Downtown Master Plan. This is to ensure that the repair work fits in with the firm’s recommendation for the revitalization of the downtown area.

Scott Meneilley’s son was developing the level area held in place by the wall as a picnic area with a rod iron decorative fence. The fencing is still available and according to Mayor Terry Seitz, the Jasper Parks Department is going to recommend another area for him to develop for his project.

The mill is the location for the annual Society for the Preservation of Old Mills annual convention. Approximately 300 mill enthusiasts will descend upon the area from June 5 through June 9.