Upgrades planned at Chute Pond Park

A Hobart engineering firm will design and oversee construction of two restroom facilities at Chute Pond County Park and Campground. A proposal from Robert E. Lee & Associates was approved Thursday by the Oconto County Board. For a fee of $16,000, the company will perform a site survey, develop construction plans, bid out the project, obtain permits and oversee construction. The 750-square-foot buildings will have a men’s restroom, a women’s restroom and four separate shower rooms. The buildings are expected to cost $30-$50 per square foot to construct. Construction is scheduled to begin this spring and be completed during the camping season. The county budgeted $125,000 for a new building that will replace the existing one. Supervisors Guy Gooding and Jim Lacourciere voted against the project. Gooding recommended delaying approval so the county could solicit other engineering bids. Only one bid was obtained. Robert Skalitzky, head of the Forestry, Parks and Recreation Department, said the county has been satisfied with Robert E. Lee & Associates’ work on past projects and wanted to begin the project quickly.