The decision to make the Aurora Bridge more dissuasive to potential suicides has brought up mixed feelings to potential designs for a planned suicide-prevention barrier on each side of the overpass.

Because the bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, a citizens' advisory committee formed to ensure the fence design reflects community values and issues, has decided the barrier should be removable for major maintenance and should not deface any part of the original bridge.

Aiming for a 12-foot- high fence, the committee discussed at a public meeting last week that barriers at the top of the fence should include tines, tubing, or vertical spikes.

They've chosen a vertical barrier because they realized if the fence were to be horizontal, the barrier would become ladder like, giving people a greater opportunity to climb over the fence, said Gregg Phipps, a spokesperson for the Washington State Department of Transportation Communications, which owns the fence.

The committee has also chosen to use stainless steel cables rather than steel bars. Phipps said chief concerns people have also had are maintaining the views from the bridge. Cables would still provide some transparency with their small diameter compared to steel bars.

"The transparent look would not interfere with the view along with the bridge's historic nature," said Phipps.

The advisory committee had a list of things they would consider in choosing an element for the top of the barrier. They considered birds roosting, vandalism, deterring potential jumpers, not giving the option to use the existing railing as a tool to stand and grab onto the barrier, an element that would complement the design of the existing bridge and aesthetics.

With tines - a horizontal overhang that would curve out from the main fence - some committee members said they had the capability to become handle grips for potential jumpers.

Currently there is nothing that would prevent one to grab onto the tines, said Paul Kinderman, architect for Washington State Department of Transportation. However, he explained they could control the appeal of using them as assistance to hop the fence through width size, distance between and the angle of the tines.

The width could prevent the ability to grip the tines and the distance and angle would make it difficult to climb and carry oneself over the fence.

One option, using wide cylindrical tubing that would connect to the top of the barrier across the bridge, could make it difficult for one to climb over the barrier. But committee members said people could still use the initial railing that sits below the height of the barrier and use it to jump onto or climb over the fence.

"It would be difficult to grab but the railing below is something they can get on top of rather easily," said Phipps. "They can still jump or climb over the preventable fence."

As for the vertical spikes, also known as fence darts, some committee members thought they looked scary and unwelcoming. A community member said the spikes would incorporate the traditional design of the bridge and create a deterrent to climbing over.

A consensus for the top of the fence is still in question, and Phipps said the state would continue to work with the committee until one is reached. Another meeting is scheduled for Sept. 30.

Still undecided are where the fence will start, how it would be attached to the bridge and how much space will be left between the existing railing and the fence.

To learn more about the project and to provide feedback, the public is welcome to attend the next advisory meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 30 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Seattle Pacific University in the Otto Miller Hall-Room 109, 3307 Third Ave. W.

Allison Espiritu may be reached at 783-1244 or allisone@robinsonnews.com.