METRO BRiEFS
by B.C. Kowalski
ATV open for business
After months of work, the county passed an ordinance that allows ATVs and UTVs on county roads United to cut Wausau service to Chicago
United Airlines last week announced the closure of several regional routes — and CWA is among them. The airline informed Central Wisconsin Airport staff last week that it would be cutting its flights from CWA to Chicago, a major loss for the airport. Airport Manager Brian Grefe called it “terrible news” but says the change could also be an opportunity to attract other low-cost airlines to the airport. The closure is one of 14 planned by United. The service will continue through the holidays and the last day of service will be Jan. 3, Grefe told City Pages. Of the 14, seven of the closures involved Chicago, the airport most affected. Though a blow for the airport, Grefe was optimistic about the future: “Making American Airlines and Delta Airlines healthy will provide us with a much greater argument to add an additional destination,” Grefe told City Pages. “Also, with the potential lack of competition and strong demand in our market, we will be more attractive to a low-cost carrier. I plan on exploring all opportunities in the next few weeks and months.”
Pedestrian bridge draws controversy After months of hashing and rehashing, and two long committee meetings last week to nail down the details, a new ordinance that would allow all-terrain vehicles on county roads has been approved. The ordinance, which allows ATVs and UTVs on county roads with daily traffic under 1,500 vehicles outside or the metro area, brought concerns from a mixed coalition of critics including the Sheriff and the county board chair. The ordinance brought concerns about safety and local control, since the ordinance as written would open up roads in municipalities even if those municipalities kept their own town roads closed to ATVS. That changed Tuesday with an amendment by County Board Chair Kurt Gibbs, who stepped down from his chair role temporarily in order to introduce the amendment. Under Gibbs’ amendment, roads would only open in villages and townships that already had their roads opened to ATVs. The amendment also introduced speed limit laws in anticipation of state bills recently introduced that create separate speed limits for ATVs. Proponents of the ordinance said allowing ATVs and UTVs on county roads helps open up routes because Marathon County doesn’t have much in the way of ATV trails like other counties north of here. It would
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allow people in rural areas to use the county roads to help get around, as many use ATVs for transportation. Marathon County Sheriff Scott Parks said he had a number of concerns about the ordinance. Having separate speed limits for ATVs isn’t currently enforceable under state law, meaning drivers of those vehicles would be legally allowed to drive 55 miles per hour (though many such vehicles aren’t capable of those speeds). The ordinance allows usage of those roads from 5 am to 10 pm, different from the current one hour before sunrise and after sunset. And, Parks said he’s worried about the staff needed to maintain all the extra vehicle traffic when county deputies are already strained. The new ordinance came after several meetings that included contentious debate regarding local control and safety. Supervisor Chris Dickinson shared data showing ATV use on roads is relatively safe. He argued at committee that the county had purview over its roads but later agreed the amendment was a good one. New state bills, which include Sen. Jerry Piotrowski among their supporters, would add the ability of separate speed limits for ATVs. That comes as numerous counties have opened up county roads to ATV use, particularly in the north.
A plan to seek a $10 million grant for a pedestrian bridge that’s part of the mall redevelopment project has drawn some pushback as some council members wonder what could have been done with that money instead. Wausau Opportunity Zone Project Manager Chuck Ghidorzi told a city committee last week that WOZ in concert with the city’s community development office was seeking a $10 million state grant to help fund a pedestrian bridge that would traverse from the former JC Penney site to the south riverfront. The bridge was included in WOZ’s initial vision for the redevelopment of the mall site, which was demolished earlier this year. The funding being sought is part of the Neighborhood Investment Fund Program. The program, administered by the Department of Administration, funnels American Rescue Program Funds to communities disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. The program is intended for increasing child care, affordable housing or public improvements. Committee Member Tom Kilian criticized the application, saying the city had greater needs in the child care and housing arena than a windy bridge. And Council Member Deb Ryan criticized the lack of transparency on the council, saying her constituents were angered by the application. But Council Member Lisa Rasmussen
said that was a misunderstanding: If a grant has no local match, staff members apply for grants on their own all the time, and the council steps in when it is time to accept the grant. Community Development Director Liz Brodek pointed out that while child care is a passion of hers (something she told City Pages in an interview when she was hired), one of the requirements is that a project submitted needed to be shovel ready — in other words, a project already set to be underway. The pedestrian bridge fit the bill. Kilian told City Pages he spoke with the DOA and is sending a formal letter of concern over the project.
Riverlife project could be on hold as developer switches to mall project
A project approved earlier this year for Riverlife could be put on hold in favor of the developer starting the first project in the mall redevelopment plan. Wausau Opportunity Zone Project Manager Chuck Ghidorzi told the city’s Economic Development Committee last week that talks are underway to get T. Wall Enterprises to stall work on its Riverlife project, a mix of commercial and residential property, in favor of building the first project on block four of the mall development. Ghidorzi told the committee the project would be 132 market rate apartment units and 21,000 square feet of retail space. The original timeline for the project was that it would begin in 2024; but with the change, the new start date would be later next year. Ghidorzi told the committee that getting the area pad ready went faster than expected. But some Economic Development Committee members expressed concern that they were being told about this before they had a chance to weigh in. T.Wall was selected for the project earlier this year over other developers for Riverlife, and the agreement had a specific timeframe in which to complete the project. Committee members said they didn’t feel the committee had an adequate chance to weigh in. “There needs to be a much greater distinction between private sector and government when we’re talking about private-public partnerships,” Committee Member Tom Kilian said. “It’s not a choose your own adventure; that it goes through committee and is approved, that it goes through council and is approved, that audibles aren’t being called in closed-door sessions the committee and body are not involved in.” Community Development Director Liz Brodek says the new agreements are being worked out and that the new Riverlife agreement would still come before the Economic Development Committee.
