STURGEON BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – A closed observation tower in Door County may be dismantled.
Evidence of significant wood decay was found during an assessment of the 75-foot tower at Potawatomi State Park in Sturgeon Bay.
The nearly 90-year-old tower was closed to the public in December 2017 after staff noticed visual decay.
An inspection report released Friday by the Forest Products Laboratory, a part of the U.S. Forest Services, Department of Agriculture, found the load carrying capacity of the tower has been compromised. It recommended the tower be dismantled and the wood cannot be reused in any load-bearing application.
The report can be found here.
Officials say they will use the report, as well as a report conducted by the Sturgeon Bay Historical Society, to request an engineering review of the tower. The engineering firm will then determine if and how the tower may possibly be repaired.
“We are eagerly looking for a way to move forward in an effective way to either repair the existing tower or provide new viewing opportunities at the property, both that meet ADA standards, are financially feasible and meet the needs of our visitors,” says Ben Bergey, Wisconsin State Park System director.
A similar tower in Peninsula State Park was taken down in 2016 after officials found wood decay. Plans to rebuild Eagle Tower are in place.
