Enhancing Egg Harbor

The Village of Egg Harbor has begun a process of self-examination to enhance its downtown corridor. Public meetings were held on April 21 and 22 to discuss options and ideas for making the area from County E to Harbor School Road more biker and pedestrian friendly.

“We believe communication is an important part of the public process,” said Village Administrator Josh Van Lieshout to the 40 people in the audience at the April 21 meeting.

One piece of that puzzle – burying utility lines – is already under way. Van Lieshout said he was gathering final numbers from Wisconsin Public Service and other players to present to the village board, with the idea that the actual work to bury the cables will begin in December.

The bulk of the program was presented by Ed Freer of the Madison branch of the giant architecture, engineering and planning firm SmithGroup JJR, who said a main goal is to “make the village feel more like a village rather than a highway corridor” and a destination rather than a gateway to Northern Door. The enhancements should also help to attract investment, jobs and new homes.

Freer suggested the village brand itself with its connection to the water and the arts.

Jennifer Schaff, project engineer with Neenah-based McMahon Engineers/Architects, talked about options they have already been discussing with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation for the Hwy. 42 corridor, options that include using the current right-of-way without having to purchase additional property. Both options are designed to slow traffic through the heart of the village.

“We do need to make accommodations for bike lanes,” Schaff said.

Both options narrow the driving lanes from 16 feet to 11 feet.

“Psychologically, I’m not going to drive as fast with 11-foot lanes,” Freer said.

The first option includes 11-foot driving lanes, eight-foot parking lanes, four-foot bike lanes and five-foot paths on either side.

The second option has 11-foot driving lanes, eight-foot parking, a four-foot bike path on one side and a 10-foot shared use path on the other side.

The first question from the audience was, “How are we going to pay for this?”

Van Lieshout answered that the village would use general obligation bonds.

“We’re all paying for it?” someone in the audience said.

“Right, right,” Van Lieshout said.

Two business owners outside the scope of the proposed enhancement project – Angela Lensch of Angela Lensch Gallery and Colleen Bins of Chief Oshkosh Trading Post – said they wished the project went all the way to County T. Another member of the audience suggested that sidewalks be added north of County E for the sake of all those who lodge at places north of that road and have to walk on the side of the highway to get to and from the center of the village.

There were suggestions to emphasize the historic nature of most of the buildings in downtown Egg Harbor, adding public toilets and water, planting shade trees along public walks and continuing to celebrate the egg, as the village did so successfully last year with its 50th anniversary Eggstravaganza.

Freer said it is things like the egg celebration that give communities identity and character. As both he and Van Lieshout pointed out, this is just the start of the process.