Ephraim Moves Village Plan Forward

At its Oct. 23 meeting, the Ephraim Village Board voted 4-1 in front of a packed hall to proceed with landscape design group LivingLAB in the restructure of Ephraim. LivingLAB will now return to the village to create a firm plan with specifics on parking locations and number of parking spots, as well as layout for new pedestrian walkways.

Of primary concern for Ephraim business owners and residents is implementation of a storm water drain system, the absence of which has left the village, primarily the southern part of Highway 42, in marsh-like conditions. Standing water has been an issue in the wet season while, “in the winter it gets to be like an ice skating rink,” said Eagle Harbor Inn owner Natalie Neddersen. With the upcoming implementation of the LivingLAB proposal and planned resurfacing of Hwy. 42 in 2017, the village sees an opportunity to solve this problem.

While all were in agreement on the importance of a storm drain system, a “compressed timeline” is putting pressure on the community. Such a system was not included in the preliminary conceptual proposal by LivingLAB. Village Administrator Charity Carey explained that the village would need to get its decision to LivingLAB in the next few weeks to allow time for LivingLAB to draw up modifications and provide them to the Department of Transportation.

Board President Mike McCutcheon recommended, “We go to the [Department of Transportation] and say we’re not ready,” to allow adequate time for the village to accurately identify the specifics on a storm drain system.

However, the board trusted their partner LivingLAB would work with the community in coming weeks to identify the issue and ensure implementation of a storm drain system before the resurfacing by the Department of Transportation currently scheduled for spring of 2017.

The next step in LivingLAB’s process will cost the village $26,500 and it consists of base maps and surveying the land to begin in December of this year.

In other action:

• The board unanimously voted to provide the Ephraim-Gibraltar airport with a requested $10,000 loan to aid in construction of seven new airplane hangars on the property. The hangars will be leased to pilots, with the loan to be repaid within two to three years of operation. Gibraltar will provide an equal loan, with a government grant making up the rest of expenses. The airport will ensure there are at least four pilots committed to lease before beginning construction.

• The board voted to move forward with reflective “fire numbers” to be placed on each property in Ephraim. The reflective numbers will aid in building identification in the case of a fire. McCutcheon explained that the numbers are especially important for other village fire departments that may not know the area as well in light of the formation of a fire district, where neighboring fire departments respond to each other’s calls.

• The Ephraim Yacht Club has withdrawn its proposal to lease village property around the downtown visitor’s center. Residents resisted the original proposal and felt the land should stay under use by the village.