By Kevin Boneske
Staff Writer
HOWARD – The northern most link of an effort to connect the Mountain Bay Trail in Howard to the Fox River Trail in Green Bay is receiving grant money as a state Transportation Alternatives Project (TAP).
The village of Howard will also be funding the Velp Avenue Multi-Use Trail project.
The village board approved an agreement with the state Monday, Jan. 14, for the multi-use trail. A maximum of $528,192 in grant funds would be available with the village committing another $472,000 for a total of $1 million allocated for construction in 2021.
Geoff Farr, director of public works, noted the village applied for the grant funds through the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
It is receiving them subject to accepting a TAP agreement, which generally funds non-roadway type of projects, such as sidewalks and trails.
Farr reported the project would construct approximately a mile of a shared use path, mostly parallel to Velp Avenue, and connect to the Mountain Bay Trail at the overpass over Velp Avenue.
He said the village portion of the trail would not require a fee, which would apply for those using the Mountain Bay Trail.
“There have been residents in the area who have requested sidewalk access from the Ocean Winds subdivision… so this will certainly be a nice linkage connecting Woodale down to Glendale and to Velp Avenue and the stores in that area,” he said.
Farr also noted a portion of the trail would begin at the crossing of Lancaster Creek at Glendale Avenue, next to the village hall.
The trail will follow the creek behind the village hall and cross to the north side of Lancaster Creek, extending onto the Box Car Billy’s restaurant property until reaching Velp Avenue.
Farr said property would need to be acquired from the restaurant and others for the project with any costs related to design, real estate acquisitions or utility compensation being 100 percent locally funded.
He said he hasn’t received any negative feedback at this point from property owners whose land would be acquired for the trail project with some of those property owners being helpful in the process.