By Kevin Boneske
Staff Writer
HOWARD – A resolution with a relocation order to acquire the right-of-way and easements for laying out and constructing a multi-use path from Glendale Avenue to the Mountain Bay State Trail along Velp Avenue was approved last month by the village board.
The board’s motion is contingent on final approval of a design study report by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
Mike Kaster, Howard director of engineering, said the village received a grant in 2018 to construct the trail from the intersection of Glendale and Lancaster Creek, at the west end of village hall, extending along Lancaster Creek to Velp Avenue, and then north along Velp Avenue to the Mountain Bay State Trail.
“This being a grant project, we do need to go through the federal process for this, which is the eminent domain process,” he said.
Kaster said there are four properties from where the village needs to acquire the right-of-way to construct the trail.
“We’ve spoken with those property owners, and they are, in general, in favor of the project,” he said. “We have to, obviously, come to some type of financial agreement for the sale of the property, but they are generally aware and in favor of the project. And the other property owners, it’s merely sloping easements alongside the trail.”
Kaster said the layout is designed to go through areas where property owners are in favor of the trail.
With the project to be bid in April, Kaster said property acquisition must be completed by the end of February.
The board approved an agreement in July with the Brown County Highway Department for the trail along Velp Avenue.
The project is included in the capital projects budget with $1 million.
Interceptor sewer
In other action, the board approved purchasing additional capacity in the Bayview Interceptor (BVI) sewer.
When the BVI was constructed in 1992, Kaster said the Green Bay Metropolitan Sewerage District (GBMSD) allocated capacities to Pulaski and Howard, leaving a reserve for future sewer service areas.
“As the village has developed, we’ve connected into that line in various locations,” he said. “Over time, as flows become more real, occasionally you have to review your allocation of the pipe to make sure that either we’re on track, or I think we’re starting to look like we’re going to trend over, and we want to reserve that capacity in the pipe…”
With the additional allocated capacity having a total cost of almost $76,000, Kaster said the purchase rate would be higher in the future.
“It’s not any cheaper to do it later,” he said. “It’s actually better to do it the sooner you can identify the purchase need.”
Kaster said the purchase agreement should cover Howard for future development in the western portion of the village, in accordance with the future land use map.
He said the payment will be a lump sum to avoid additional interest and take place next year to budget into the village’s sewer utility.
Salvage yard
Board members denied an appeal filed on behalf of Alter Trading Corporation, which sought denial of a salvage yard license approved in late September for Burrows Midwest at 2201 Badgerland Drive.
Alter, a competitor of Burrows, questioned whether Burrows could operate the facility in accordance with applicable laws and ordinances in Howard, based on how Burrows operated a site in the City of Green Bay.
Village Attorney Bob Gagan recommended denying the appeal, based on a state appeals court decision stating a neighboring property owner is not an aggrieved party with the right to appeal a village board decision, and the fact no representative from Alter appeared at the Plan Commission public hearing or village board meeting when the salvage yard license was being considered.
“The village conducted a public hearing and moved through the process correctly,” Gagan said.