The stairs leading down to the lake at Atwater Beach were recently renovated. The stairs are frequently used by the community and need occasional repairs. 

“The Atwater stairs are a valuable asset to the community,” said Joel Kolste, Assistant Director of Public Works.  “This project is really a maintenance project, ensuring the Atwater stairs last for many years to come.”

“I think it’s great that they’ve done it, it shows that they care about this space,” said Anne Metcalfe, Shorewood resident. Metcalfe runs the stairs three times a week.

A main part of the renovations was changing the wood portion of the steps. The need for the replacement of the wood steps was.

“The 2019 Atwater Park Stair Tread Replacement and Improvements project includes the removal and replacement of the wood decking and stair treads,” Kolste said.

The stairs experience a lot of use from people going to the beach, as well as being a popular exercise location. 

“Over the past couple years, as the head lifeguard at Atwater, I’ve witnessed the disintegration of some of the treads of the stairway because so many people like to run those stairs up and down,” said Eric Gietzen, head lifeguard and Shorewood High School teacher.

The weather conditions have also caused the wood stairs to break down, making them less stable. This was one of the reasons that the Village decided to replace them.

“Due to the damp climate of the lake, the existing wood stair treads have been beginning to deteriorate often requiring replacement of weak or broken treads,” Kolste said.

Not all Shorewood residents and stairs users noticed the deterioration of the treads, but as the head lifeguard, Gietzen was keeping tabs on the changes.

“I felt like they were in decent shape beforehand, but they look great now,” Metcalfe said. 

According to Gietzen, the replacement wood is nicer, and a thicker cut than the previous wood. The replacement wood is the same type of wood that was used for the boardwalk in 2011. 

“There’s not as much give in each tread now, it’s a much more solid structure,” Gietzen said. “I’m very impressed with the wood they used.”

The frame is the same, but now rocks were placed under it to prevent erosion problems that have occured in the past from happening again in the future. 

“The metal structure is to be cleaned and painted. Along with these items, corrections will be made to the erosion that is taking place under the stairs,” Kolste said.

Atwater Park has experienced many new renovations in the past decade, including the addition of the playground in 2016. Metcalfe hopes this encourages more people to come to the beach.

“Hopefully lots more people use it, not just from Shorewood, but from other parts of the city, especially some of our underserved neighborhoods, who can come out here and enjoy getting up and down to the beach easily,” Metcalfe said. 

Gietzen believes that the renovations will last about a decade, given all the use and climate conditions.

“This new setup, I’ll give it seven to ten years. It’s pretty solid,” Gietzen said. “I think they removed a little bit of danger from the steps.”