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last of the 2004 bond package to be addressed.

The � rst choice for location of the bridge was on the Padre Isles Country Club. But as various plans came and went the bridge’s location kept moving south, � nal-ly settling very near Whitecap. The bridge would con-nect Lake Padre with the canal that now runs next to the round blue building which recently became the German Bakery. But that plan had several problems, the biggest of which was that the distance between the proposed site of the bridge and Whitecap was not great enough for the prevailing southeasterly wind to push enough wa-ter through the gap to refresh the water in the canals. So from early 2007 until early 2011 there was little move-ment on the project.

Progress: Then as talks began to heat up for develop-ment on both sides of SPID the idea of the bridge came back into play. While not absolutely necessary for devel-opment, the inclusion of the bridge in planning meant that instead of The Island developing as two separate zones on each side of the main road it could develop as one whole, interlocking footprint. Everyone involved seemed to agree that the bridge was a good idea and needed to happen, but how and where?

Once again the bridge’s location began to migrate, but this time in a reverse direction. It headed back north as plan heated up to put a development, including a Schlit-terbahn water park, on the nine holes of Padre Isles that front SPID. While an exact location for the bridge has not yet been determined unless things change unexpect-edly the bridge will cross under SPID somewhere near the intersection of SPID and Nemo Court. This will re-quire developer Paul Schexnailder to extend the canal that currently ends near the bakery north onto the golf course, then east to SPID. He has agreed to do this and will change his building permit accordingly.

According to the language in the original 2004 bond package TxDot will design the bridge and the city will pay for it. While that design has not been formally under-taken by TxDot there has been much discussion between the city and state about what the design should include. As now constituted it will have a canal wide enough for two boats to pass under a clearance of between 12 and 15 feet. It will also include pedestrian walkways wide enough to allow for passage of golf carts.

This will accomplish several things. First, it will meet the requirement of water exchange from Lake Padre to the canals. Second, it will allow for a contiguous riv-erwalk type development of more than 3000 feet with space for retail and residential development. Third, it will allow for pedestrian access to the beach from all parts of the Island without having to cross traf� c on SPID - assuming the Aquarius extension gets built, more on that later.

Two questions are commonly asked about the bridge project: First, who will pay for it, and second is the com-ing of Schlitterbahn contingent on the building of the bridge?

As of our last issue the answer to the � rst question was no one knew. The only thing certain is TxDot was not. Schexnailder has said he will “bring the water to the bridge.” That is, he will build the canals necessary to get the water to the roadway, getting the bridge built to con-nect the canals on each side of the road was up to the city. Since our last issue several things have happened. State Rep. Todd Hunter has spoken to TxDot who says they are ready to begin design with the $1.4 million that is already in the bridge fund from the 2004 bond package.

There was money left over in that 2004 package due to bids on other projects coming in lower than expect-

ed. However, when Islanders ask for some of that money they were told it had been spent on another project on Yorktown Road OTB (Over The Bridge). This newspa-per as well as a good many people on The Island pointed out that while we bore a disproportionate share of that 2004 bond package the only project we got from it was the only one not built.

Then on Friday of last week the new head of Develop-mental Services for the City of San Antonio met with several Islanders to learn what is being planned for The Island and the role of a water exchange bridge in the pro-cess. During that meeting he and At-Large and former District 4 Council Member Mark Scott said that new City Manager Ron Olson had pledged $4 million to the project from the funds leftover from the 208 bond pack-age. Along with the $1.4 million from the 2004 bonds that is a total of $5.4 million, short of the minimum esti-mate of $7 million for the project but enough to kick start the planning process and get the design underway.

We have not spoken to Olson directly but it is fair to say that in the past two weeks this project has taken on new life and as of this writing it appears it will move forward and the best estimates are that it will be completed in about two years.

There are some logistical issues that will have to be dealt with since construction will necessitate the closing of some lanes of SPID during the process and this is best done in the winter months when traf� c is lighter. The disruption will be lessoned considerably if the Aquarius project is � nished before construction on the bridge be-gins as it will provide an alternative route.

As for whether the coming of a Schlitterbahn waterpark is contingent on construction of the bridge, the answer at this point is unknown. What the Schlitterbahn people have indicated is that they want to be part of helping to make something great happen on The Island. Clearly the riverwalk that a bridge makes possible adds greatly to that concept. Whether there is a quid pro quo there is not clear.

The fact is that voters in 2004 told the city to put a bridge there and whether there is a waterpark or not the bridge needs to be built.

Conclusion: It seems nearly certain that at some point a bridge high and wide enough to allow for boat and pe-destrian traf� c will be built under SPID. The exact lo-cation has yet to be determined. It is also nearly cer-tain that enough money has been pledge to begin the planning process and this should begin in the next few months. If the city commits the additional $4 million, then the project is essentially a certainty. If $5.4 million is there, the additional $1.6 will come.

Chances this bridge will be in place within three years: - 85%.

Aquarius ExtensionBackground: In the 2008 bond package $1.4 million

was approved to complete a section of Aquarius Drive that was platted by developers in the 1970s but never completed. The un� nished section is less than a mile long and connects Aquarius from its intersection with Dasmarinas to its intersection with Commodores.

That section of Aquarius was originally designed as a parallel/alternative route to SPID that would allow local traf� c from as far south as Sea Pines to reach the foot of the JFK Causeway Bridge without ever having to enter onto SPID. Original plans called for a bridge over the northernmost canal that would take the street to SPID at the point where it currently intersects it (between the Shell store and the Jesse’s Liquor). However, to extend

it that far now would require it to displace several homes on the north side of the canal. Current plans do not call for that. Instead it will take traf� c onto Commodores where it will then � ow onto SPID through the traf� c light.

Developments: There were some problems with the route and the width of the new section of the street which delayed planning until recently when the Island Strategic Action Committee made the project a priority. In early 2011 city engineers awarded a contract with Urban En-gineering to being design work on the extension and that work has been done and the permitting process is ongo-ing. Current city estimates call for the project to be com-pleted in the spring/summer of 2012.

Conclusion: Barring bad weather (rain not likely), a hur-ricane (who knows), or an attack by a mutant monster from a Japanese B movie it looks like this project will be done at least by next fall. The route has been moved sever-al times but is now (apparently) settled. Also barring any unforeseen cost overruns (are there ever any foreseen cost overruns?) this project seems ready to move into the con-struction phase on schedule. The route is over � at, sandy terrain, with no trees or natural barriers to slow it down. This one looks like a done deal.

Projection: After almost forty years of waiting the chances of the Aquarius Extension being � nished by at least the end of 2012 seem close to 100% - but check with us in December.

Beach Maintenance Background: For several years the city and the county

have had a haphazard plan for how they clean and main-tain the beaches that has crews literally passing each other on the highway while moving from one beach to the next. It is a plan that evolved by accident over the years and the city and county have been trying for several months to � nd a suitable plan.

Developments: In our last episode of the Beach Mainte-nance Soap Opera we left the two sides deadlocked over the question of how to clean up the horse apples left on

the beach by horses from Mustang Riding Stables. That apparently has been resolved and it appears the city and the county are on the verge of an agreement that will re-assign the portions of the beach that each is responsi-ble for cleaning allowing for each to work on contiguous sections of the beach rather than the current hopscotch method which wastes time and money.

As of this writing the County Parks Board is said to be in possession of an agreement sent to them by the city which reassigns the areas of responsibility. It does not require any exchange of funds and as currently consid-ered will originally be for a three-month trial period with revisions possible at its end.

Conclusion: It appears this issue has been (almost) put to rest for now. It remains to be seen how this will effect the beach-going experience. Check back in three months.

Dredging of Packery ChannelBackground: When planning for Packery Channel was

done it was thought dredging would be necessary at least every other year at an average of about $1 million per year. It turned out that annual or even semi-annual dredging has not been necessary due to natural scouring of the channel by Mother Nature. The last dredging was done about one year ago and the sand was improperly distributed on Ellis Beach at the seawall and even after spending $69,000 to remove dredge sand earlier this year the seawall is still dangerously choked with sand. A high hurricane tide with the current sand con� guration would be perilous to structures behind the seawall.

Developments: The city staff now says $4 million of dredging will be necessary next year. As of this writing no details have been released on why so much dredging is now necessary. We will have more on that in the next issue as facts become available. But the real question is where is the sand taken from the channel going to be placed? $4 million will move a lot of sand. If it is placed on Ellis Beach like last time it won’t be long before the seawall becomes a sand dune.

Projects Contined from A1