Parish’s Patience Tried by Water

The parishioners of St. Anne’s Catholic Church are tired of attending Mass in wet socks.

They’re depressed at the frequent sight of brides making dainty leaps from limos surrounded by the sludgy, ankle-deep water they call “Lake St. Anne.”

“We’re miserable,” said church secretary Katie Weir.

The “lake” runs for half a block in front of the church at 340 10th St. The street fills up almost any time it rains, sometimes flooding from the curb to the middle of the street.

Lately, it’s become a perpetual puddle.

After three decades of wet feet, the faithful are tired of waiting for the city to pull the plug on Lake St. Anne.

“I’m not talking about a puddle; I’m talking serious standing water,” said parishioner Ben Cunningham. “It’s very difficult for anyone but broad jumpers to get across it.”

City Manager Keith Till agrees that St. Anne’s drainage problem is among the worst in the city. But parishioners still must wait for the completion of a $130,000 study of the city’s crumbling storm drain and sewer systems.

The city has neglected its infrastructure for years, Till said. The only solution now is to study the problems, identify the worst areas and then figure out a way to raise the millions of dollars it will take to fix them.

“I think it’s a disgrace, and I think it needs to be taken care of,” Till said of St. Anne’s puddle. “But in all likelihood, the solution involves the complete removal of the existing road, gutter and sidewalk and then complete reconstruction. The funds are not available to do that right now. . . . The city is virtually overwhelmed with drainage problems due to so many years of inattention.”

St. Anne’s parishioners agree. But they’re unwilling to wait.

“We don’t need another study,” Cunningham said. “It’s very clear what’s wrong.”