Whitefish Bay issues sinkhole emergency declaration; here's why

WHITEFISH BAY, Wis. - Whitefish Bay declared an emergency on Tuesday to make critical repairs to a massive sinkhole that opened over the weekend.

The sinkhole has since been filled with gravel, and fences border the area near Buckley Park and Big Bay Park, but people are still wondering about the risk.

"There’s a lot of kids around here, a lot of families. Everybody goes to the beach," said Olivia Fugate.

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"Sinkholes are not normally known to announce that they are forming, so all of a sudden a gigantic hole – and I don’t know how deep it was," Keefer Kalenske said.

The village Public Works Committee said its emergency declaration to address the 30-foot sinkhole allows them to quickly take action.

Equipment to address Whitefish Bay sinkhole

"Just because the storm water utility being very important to the village and being collapsed right now, this gives us the means necessary to work as fast as humanly possible," said DPW Director Matthew Collins.

The sinkhole formed after a deep storm sewer failed. Village leaders said the failed sewer is estimated to be 90 years old, and up to 20% of the village drains through it. 

"All that weight and the pressure from 70 feet deep created that sinkhole," Collins said.

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The problem spot has also raised concern for those worried about their own properties.

"I wanted to know what the ongoing risks were to our properties. Particularly, what happens if we have a big rainstorm?" resident George Svoboda said. "Is the water going to further erode that area and create an even bigger hole?"

Collins said there is no immediate concern looking at the forecast: "Rain or no rain, we are meeting daily in order to show immeasurable progress in goals both short term in order to have a little bit of flow in that storm water."

Sinkhole in Whitefish Bay

There is no timeline right now for when the project could be completed. Still, there is progress that many, like Svoboda and Fugate, are grateful to see.

"Public works team is on top of it," said Svoboda.

"It makes me happy they are caring for it, but I’m also like, how did it happen?" Fugate said.