NEW ULM — The future appearance of the Hermann Heights Park hillside is still open for debate.

Thursday, the Hermann Hillside Stabilization Committee discussed options for planting. No formal decision was made, but Tony Guggisberg of River Creek Nursery was consulted on suitable planting options for the hillside.

Guggisberg said the biggest question is how much maintenance the city wanted to deal with on the hillside.

Community Development Director David Schnobrich said the plantings would limit maintenance, but also serve as a safety buffer to prevent people from falling from the top of a retaining wall.

There was an additional question if the plantings should only serve utilitarian purposes or if the plantings should be ornamental. The more decorative the planting, the more maintenance will be necessary.

The current hillside already has increased maintenance due to the mowing hazards created by the crumbling retaining wall. Park and Recreation Director Tom Schmitz’s original recommendation was to remove the retaining wall in favor of a simple grass slope.

Schnobrich said Hermann Heights Park was New Ulm’s best park and he felt a higher standard of maintenance was appropriate, but not necessarily on the hillside. He suggested decorative plantings could be placed elsewhere.

Tom Furth said the retaining wall is on the side of the Hermann Monument and is not the focal point of the park. He said it only needs to look classy and hold up longterm.

Nick Meyer from American Artstone gave a presentation on using his company’s product for the hillside. No formal decision was made during the meeting. Meyer estimated the manufacturing of wall panels would cost $26 a square foot.

Installation costs and wall reinforcement costs were unknown, but the committee believes they could be between $30 to $40 a square foot.

Schnobrich said the city council is expecting recommendations for this project this fall. The city has considered including the hill stabilization project in with the Hermann Heights RENU improvements. RENU stands for Reinvest in New Ulm, an effort to fund local projects with a local sales tax. Recently the first RENU project, Johnson Park, came in higher than estimated. Schnobrich said the city wants an estimate on all RENU projects as soon as possible.

The committee will determine which type of retaining wall to proceed with at their next meeting.

The Hermann hill committee was formed last year to determine the best way to relandscape the hillside leading up to the monument. The Kasota-stone limestone retaining wall currently in place in the park along Center Street has become a safety hazard for groundskeepers and park visitors. The wall is falling down in places during rain. The wall requires ongoing maintenance and repairs.