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City plans for recreation

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Improvements to the ball diamond at Weyauwega's Community Park are also on the list for recreation priorities. Angie Landsverk Photo

Weyaugwega’s priorities include canoe launch, playground

By Angie Landsverk

The city of Weyauwega’s recreational priorities include a launch for canoes and kayaks, playground equipment upgrade and ball diamond improvements.

The common council approved the list in February.

“With each one of these, there are grant potentials,” said City Administrator Jeremy Schroeder.

After estimates are determined for each project, the plan is to pursue such grants, with assistance from McMahon, the firm that handles the city’s engineering services.

“We’re getting all the homework done at this point,” Schroeder said. “Once we get the estimates, we will let the community know through social media, the (city’s) website.”

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on businesses, the city continues to wait for the estimates.
“As soon as we get the information from McMahon, we will release it,” he said.

Schroeder explained how the discussion began.

The city’s top budget priorities typically revolve around infrastructure, and the city is limited on how much it may levy in taxes each year.

People approached Schroeder, Mayor Jack Spierings and also alderpersons, expressing interest in donating money for recreation projects but wondering about the costs.

As a result, Schroeder developed a list of recreation projects he thought the city needed to address.

The discussion took place last fall around budget time and then went to the Recreation Committee.

Prior to the committee meeting, Spierings said he wanted that committee to prioritize the projects.

There were close to a dozen items on the original list.

The committee discussed the ideas and then made the recommendation, taking it to council for approval.

Top projects

• Constructing a new handicap accessible canoe/kayak launch in the city’s new designated park area.
Located off Old Mill Street by the dam, Schroeder said this is the area where the city purchased and then removed two houses.

He said this would replace the current access point, which has no dock.

McMahon is putting together a conceptual design for a paved trail that would go from the parking lot to the river.

The trail would also be handicap accessible, Schroeder said.

The city heard the most about the desire for this type of project, he said.

People describe trips on the Waupaca River from that point to the Black Bridge on River Road or all the way to Gills Landing as peaceful and enjoyable, Schroeder said.

• Upgrading the playground equipment at Community Park.

“What is there now is very old,” he said. “With changing times, it is not compliant.”

• Leveling the ball diamond outfield at Community Park, and also making perimeter drainage improvements.

“On the first base side, water runs into the ball diamond and then out onto the asphalt,” Schroeder said.

He said the field is losing soil, which is then going into the storm sewer.

• Replacing the ball diamond’s lights.

He said the launch for canoes and kayaks would be a from scratch project.

The other projects involve making upgrades.

While these are the city’s top priorities, Schroeder says the city also does not want to shut out interest community members or businesses have in other projects.

For example, the city would like to add benches to the trail once it is built.

Those could be memorials, he said.

He said the city will be interested in monetary donations toward projects, as well as physical labor.
People may reach out to him for more information.

“I just think it’s an exciting opportunity for our community,” Schroeder said. “The goal is to see some sort of phase this summer, especially the canoe/kayak launch. It might not be completely finished, but it will be a start.”

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