Wittenberg village board sets sidewalk hearing for Feb. 2

Sidewalks on the east side of North Genesee Street will be the subject of a Feb. 2 public in the village of Wittenberg.

The village board agreed to the public hearing at its regular meeting Tuesday. The hearing will be held at 6 p.m. before the scheduled village board meeting, Traci Matsche, village clerk, said.

There are currently sidewalks on the west side of the street but the addition of businesses and the Northcentral Technical College office has greatly increased pedestrian traffic.

“But it’s really (U.S. Highway) 45. It’s become one of the busiest intersections in Wittenberg,” said Bill Switalla, village board president, had said after the board discussed the project on Dec. 15.

He emphasized the safety factor for pedestrians, especially children and students, in adding the sidewalks.

Switalla noted there are three residences on the street that would be affected, and he sympathized that homeowners are concerned about the upkeep and clearing snow.

“We just feel it’s a safety factor,” he said.

In a streets and sidewalks issue, the Shawano County Highway Department invited the village’s participation in 2022 in a repaving project on East Grand Avenue from South Mission Street to North Genesee Street and the section of North Genesee Street up to the intersection with U.S. Highway 45. The plan, according to the letter from Grant Bystol, county highway commissioner, is to replace the existing top two inches of pavement. The village’s share was estimated at $93,000.