By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
The road to seeking a final determination on construction details near the intersection of Highways 83 and 20 along Main Street in Waterford is moving forward.
In a joint meeting held last week, members of the Waterford Village Board and Plan Commission discussed a tentative timeline and some of the finer points of construction with officials from the state Department of Transportation.
WisDOT has slated repaving work along the aging, heavily traveled arterial intersection from the Fox River Bridge eastbound to Highway 36.
The village is planning to work with WisDOT officials in sprucing up the area.
A number of “streetscaping” elements – including benches, trees, decorative light poles, brick-layered pedestrian walkways, public art and other aesthetic enhancements – could be incorporated into the construction work.
It would be partially funded by WisDOT. The full scope of those enhancements was at the core of last week’s discussion.
WisDOT officials discussed the concept of community sensitive solutions – a phrase in the urban planning community about aesthetic enhancements that are in line with the character and history of a particular community.
For Waterford, streetscaping work could draw attention to one of the area’s greatest gems: the Fox River.
While specifics are not yet cemented, many commissioners and board members expressed a desire to create a grand entrance into the village’s downtown area.
Village President Thomas Roanhouse gave examples of some of the streetscaping work he has seen in North Shore suburban communities in Milwaukee.
“My first impression was ‘wow, exciting, dynamic!’ ” Roanhouse said. “These kinds of things really send some kind of message.”
At this point, officials within WisDOT say nothing is off the table with joint funding for streetscaping enhancements.
Once a complete wish list is compiled, both sides – WisDOT and the village – will delve into some finer details as specific cost estimates enter the equation.
Trustee Judy Spencer expressed concern about the lack of direction in what could and could not be included in a joint project with WisDOT.
“Quite frankly, I would like it all,” Spencer said, with a laugh.
As a first step in determining possibilities, the board and commissioners green-lighted a proposal to hire the engineer consulting firm R.A. Smith National to assist in designing elements of the streetscaping proposals.
Village Administrator Rebecca Ewald recommended the firm because of their track record in designing projects to WisDOT specifications.
In the months ahead, village staff and organizations will be working with R.A. Smith National to firm up a proposed list of enhancements. Participating organizations will include Absolutely Waterford and the Waterford Area Chamber of Commerce.
Ewald said input from village departments – notably Public Works – also will be sought in this preliminary phase to determine all logistics.
Timetable set for new plan
A tentative timeline for the proposed streetscaping elements for the Highway 20/83 project in the Village of Waterford was discussed last week. It is as follows:
• March: another joint meeting with Village Board and Plan Commission to hash over some of the specifics;
• April: meet with community groups and make further refinements to proposed list;
• May: send a priority list to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation;
• July: WisDOT to send a list of what can and cannot be included;
• September: village to send a revised list, based on feedback from WisDOT;
• November: WisDOT to submit final plan to village.
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