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New entrance discussed for Pigeon Lake Wayside

Changes would improve safety for pedestrians, motorists

By Bert Lehman


In an effort to improve safety entering and exiting Pigeon Lake Wayside, the city of Clintonville is considering construction of a new entrance.

The current entrance takes those entering the wayside around a 90-degree turn to the left and then downhill and a turn to the right.

“(It’s) very difficult to maneuver the weed cutter through there,” Clintonville Parks and Recreation Director Justin Mc Auly said at a May 2 parks and recreation committee meeting. “That was one of the No. 1 concerns. And we do have a lot of washouts, obviously, because we are going from paved to gravel. Unfortunately, the gravel is like midway down the hill, so you are getting those washouts at the transition.”

Mc Auly said the proposed 18-foot-wide entrance would straighten out the driveway into Pigeon Lake Wayside.

“We’re looking at building it up, putting a shoulder on it and paving it all the way down until you get to the flat area down at the bottom,” Mc Auly said.

Some of the wooded area at the wayside, 10 to 20 trees, would need to be cleared.

Committee member Carol Metzger said she is concerned about removing the trees, which are mostly red and white pine.

“This property going all the way to Pickerel Point hasn’t been managed to its full potential,” Mc Auly said. “We are getting a lot of these trees that are actually not going to be able to put much circumference on them. They’re too thick in there. Thinning is not a bad thing for that woods.”

Committee Chairman Steve Kettenhoven said a new entry road into the wayside would make it safer for people leaving while pulling a trailer.

“Trying to look for oncoming traffic, especially to the west, it’s really kind of a bear to be honest with you. It’s not real safe,” Kettenhoven said.

Clintonville Public Works Director Kray Brown said the project’s estimated cost is $13,000.

Clintonville Mayor Richard Beggs said the city might receive some money for the trees logged from the area.

At the Clintonville Streets Committee meeting that night, Brown said the Public Works Department would do most of the work if the project eventually receives approval.

He said the city could ask the Pigeon Lake Rehabilitation District to pay for part of the project in exchange for space to store the lake district’s weed cutter during the winter.

Brown said paving the new entrance would cost around $6,000 while gravel is estimated to cost around $2,000.

Jim Supanich, streets committee chairman, asked if the project could wait until 2020. Pigeon Lake is currently drawn down.

“There’s going to be very little activity there this year,” Supanich said, adding more funding may be available in 2020.

Brown said having less activity in the area would be the best time to close it and complete the project.

Kettenhoven told the committee this idea has been brought up several times in the past, citing maintenance of the area and safety.

Pedestrians share the walkway of the current entrance with vehicles. The new entrance would separate the pedestrians from vehicles, Supanich said.

Hearing those reasons, committee member Brandon Braden asked why the project has not been placed on the city’s capital improvement plan list so it can be considered against other projects.

Brown said he was just recently informed about this potential project.

“I think this is one of those things that has been screwed up in Clintonville for 40 years and we’ve just never fixed it,” Beggs said.

Beggs favored trying to complete the project in 2020.

Supanich said the trees could be harvested this year with the rest of the project completed in 2020.

“I think this is a good project,” Braden said. “My only concern is that it is a capital project and we have a capital plan to help kind of figure out what to spend money on, and I think if this is something that has been ongoing for four decades, I don’t think there’s any urgency that we need to use unallocated funds to all of a sudden fund it because I think we need to get out of the cycle of just funding things because a great idea came up.”

Brown said the Public Works Department would not have time to start until September.

The streets committee took no action on the proposal and agreed to discuss it again in July.

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