Port to let idea of permeable pavers sink in

The aptly named Lake Street along Port Washington’s waterfront is going to get a facelift next year —but it has yet to be determined just how much of a change there will be in the roadway.

The Board of Public Works last week agreed to spend $7,000 to study whether to construct the road with permeable pavers instead of asphalt.

The board will consider whether to seek bids for the pavers after reviewing the study, which will look at everything from the amount of maintenance they would require to the expected life of the roadway.

The study is needed, Public Works Director Rob Vanden Noven said, because “it’s not just swapping one type of pavement for another. The storm sewer system and way you collect the drainage can vary considerably.”

Permeable pavers allow rain and melted snow to filter through them rather than run into the storm sewer system. The sand used in the system helps filter the water, cleaning it before it reaches the lake. 

Ald. Mike Gasper, a member of the board, suggested using pavers for the road, saying they would not only help with drainage in the area but also provide a good aesthetic for the area.

The marina district, Gasper said, “is basically an asphalt jungle. It isn’t an incredibly pleasant area. This will help with that.”

Not only would the pavers look better than asphalt, he said, they would also allow the city to do better landscaping in the area and accommodate better tree growth.

Vanden Noven agreed, saying, “The concept of permeable pavers is a good idea and can have a good look.”

It’s something the city may want to consider as it works on plans for the entire marina district, since it would give the area its own identity, he added.

That would likely help create cost efficiencies and make it a more feasible project, Gasper said.

Ald. John Sigwart, a member of the board, said he doesn’t see much of a stormwater benefit to the pavers but that it would add a lot to the aesthetics of the area.

“I’m pretty much sold on the aesthetics,” Sigwart said. “I think it could do a lot for that point of downtown. It’s going to be expensive, for sure, but it may be a desirable look.

“If we’re going to do this anywhere in the city, this might be the place to do it.”

But board member Phil Bruno disagreed, saying the pavers would be costly to maintain.

“I just think it’s nuts all the money we’d have to spend,” he said. “Normally you try to mitigate the maintenance costs.”

But Gasper said that isn’t necessarily the case. As long as the base is properly installed, individual pavers may fail, but it’s relatively easy to replace them without disturbing the look.

Every year or two, the filtering sand between the pavers needs to be removed and replaced, Gasper said, noting it’s a job that takes only a couple hours to complete. The sand that’s removed is then cleaned and recycled.

And, he said, since Lake Street is in a tax incremental financing district, the city may be able to use TIF funds to help defray the cost.