Walking trail delayed until next spring
By Kevin O’Brien
A planned pedestrian trail on the east side of Marathon City will likely not be constructed until next spring, but the village will still qualify for a $519,200 state grant under a revised timeline, according to village administrator Steve Cherek.
Cherek told the village board last week that Little Lions Childcare, owned by St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, agreed to donate a land easement that will allow the walking trail to cross its property on the east side of CTH NN. Last month, the Marathon School Board voted to accept $19,600 from the village in exchange for a similar easement on the west side of the highway.
With those two easements signed, the village is waiting for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to review all of the project plans before bids are opened in September. The trail, which includes new sections of sidewalk on East Fourth Street and a tunnel under CTH NN, was originally planned for installation this fall, but that timeline has been pushed back.
“I’m guessing construction is probably going to be in the spring,” Cherek told the board.
Even with the delay, Cherek said the village is still in compliance with the Transportation Alternative Program, a federal grant fund run in conjunction with the Wisconsin DOT.
Cherek said the village has spent nearly $83,000 of its own money so far on preconstruction costs, but once the project is bid out, the 80 percent grant will kick in.
“I believe it’s going to come in under budget, but we won’t know until all of the bid documents come in,” he said.
In a related matter, Cherek said construction of the village’s new baseball/softball complex on the east side of CTH NN is moving along on schedule. He showed trustees pictures from the second floor of the concession stand building, which is currently under construction and will overlook the ballfields from a press box.
“When you look out of the press box, you get a really good view of the fields, the way it’s laid out,” he said. “Every window is behind home plate, and when you’re up on the second floor, you can see the whole field.”
Pipes for the field’s irrigation system have been installed and grass is expected to be planted soon, Cherek said.
The village has spent about $2.1 million so far on the project, leaving about $1.5 million in anticipated bills to complete Phase 1B of the complex, which includes three ball diamonds, two basketball courts, a concession stand with press box and a batting cage.
With games expected to be played on the fields starting next spring, trustee Keith Paul wondered who would be in charge of scheduling. Cherek said he plans to have that discussion at a future board meeting, along with a conversation about possibly charging to use the fields.
“There’s going to be substantially more grass-cutting and maintenance, because we also drag the fields,” he said, noting that it may take two part-time employees to mow all of the grass over the course of a day.
Cherek also told trustees that a donor has pledged $25,000 to cover roughly half the cost of installing a pickleball court at the complex, but if that donation is not matched, the donor will get their money back.
“There’s a spot drawn in for it, so it’s just matter of them getting the match to do it,” he said. “I believe they’re going to come up with the funding for that.”
Other business
■ Cherek said work is wrapping up on the Hemlock Street project, and he believes it will come in under budget because not as many sections of sidewalk needed to be replaced. In other road work news, Cherek said a catch basin near Veterans Park broke and had to be fixed on an emergency basis. He also noted that several boards are being replaced on the park’s bleachers due to safety concerns.
■ Trustees told Cherek that a bill should be sent to the town of Marathon after a recent fire call required assistance from the village’s fire department. The town withdrew from the village’s coverage area and now relies on SAFER for fire protection, but trustees said the village should still be able to recoup its costs for responding to calls.
“We have legal precedence to bill them and collect,” said Paul.
■ The board approved a conditional use permit and variance request for St. Matthew’s to build a new church next to Little Lions Childcare. The variance will allow the church to be built within setbacks from CTH NN and from the existing lot line.
■ The board approved financial and maintenance agreements with the DOT in preparation for a 2026 resurfacing project planned on STH 107, from south of Eighth Street to just north of North Street. The financial agreement commits the village to spending $51,810 as a local match for the project, and the maintenance agreement is mostly the same as it is now, Cherek said.
■ The board approved the following people to be crossing guards for the 2024-2025 school year: Brenda Wirkus, David Martin and Larry Berres, with Kathy Grell, Paige Koch and Suzanne Martin serving as substitutes.
COMING TOGETHER - This view from the second floor of the concession stand building at Marathon’s new baseball/softball complex provides a clear view from behind home plate at one of the three fields under construction .
SUBMITTED PHOTO
