The village of Plover will study some extensions of pedestrian and bicycle trails in the village.
Gary Speckmann, Portage County park superintendent, said the state Department of Natural Resources has indicated funds will probably be available in the new state budget to develop the right-of-way on the south side of Cedar Drive from Woyak Park to the Tomorrow River Trail.
The park would be a trailhead on the west edge of the trail, he said, and the village accepted the master plan for the trail calling for the use of the park. The question is, he told the Public Works Committee, is will the plan still be acceptable to the village?
The trail would extend from the park in the right-of-way to Hoover Avenue and then head south to the Tomorrow River Trail.
The park would only be used for bicycle and pedestrian travel, he said, adding that another trailhead will be established for snowmobiles and horses because the trail has been designated for those uses.
The DNR is looking at purchasing some property for that trailhead, he said. "We don't think the village wants horses or horse trailers in a village park."
Dan Mahoney, village administrator, said Speckmann will have to come back to the village with specific plans about the trail, whether it will be granite, blacktop or concrete.
The committee and the Village Board approved using the right-of-way, contingent upon a more definite plan being presented later.
Acting on a committee recommendation, the board referred a petition for a pedestrian/bike trail along Okray Avenue to the Walkway Committee that was recently created.
Nancy Johnson, 2130 Aspen Lane, Plover, said she circulated the petition because the existing situation is dangerous for pedestrians and bicyclists trying to travel along Okray. "It would be a great addition to the Green Circle Trail," she said.
The east side has the Hoover path, she said, but there's nothing along the west side. "I would like to see something like Hoover."
Bill Konkol, public works director, said the trail would be close to two miles long and he suspected the village could work out an easement to construct it.
Mahoney said he thought the issue should be submitted to the Walkway Committee so the trail could be included in the next budget.
In other business the committee and the board:
Accepted the low bid of $119,264.50 from Stuczynski Trucking for sewer extension and the street reconstruction project on Mall Road. The bid is subject to the village obtaining right-of-way and permanent limited easements for the project.
Approved paying up to $10,600 to Earth Tech for construction observation services on the Mall Road project.
Approved a proposal of $1,300 from Civil Professional Consulting Engineers of Whiting for engineering services to extend sewer service on Earhart Avenue. The cost will be assessed back to property owners.
Agreed to install three streetlights in Towering Pines Subdivision as requested in a petition from subdivision residents.
Granted Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church permission to place directional signs for the church within village right-of-way off Highway 54 at Cleveland Avenue and Maple Drive. The signs meet criteria in state statues and administrative codes for directional signs, but the church was unable to place them within the state right-of-way along 54.