April 10, 2017 at 2:02 p.m.
Presque Isle Town Board tables chamber request
Organization would like Crab Lake Road designated in a state program
Presque Isle Town Board tables chamber request
Sarah Johnson, director of the Presque Isle Chamber of Commerce, said she had visited with town chairman Jack Harrison about the Rustic Roads program, which is facilitated by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
The program was begun in 1973, created by the state legislature "to preserve what remains of Wisconsin's scenic lightly traveled back roads for the enjoyment of motorists, hikers and bicyclists," reads a description on a handout Johnson provided.
"There's something like 120 rustic roads in 59 counties," she said. "There's only one or two in Vilas (County) so I think it would be kind of nice to designate Crab Lake Road because it's such a gorgeous road to invite people to come and drive down. So, the benefit of the designation is promotional. There's not going to be droves of people here but it is kind of a quiet, auto drive."
Johnson said the important thing for the town to know is the program doesn't change town jurisdiction.
"They're not involved at all in the way you maintain it," she said. "There's pretty much no restrictions."
Johnson said the resolution outlining the designation would have to come from the town board "but it doesn't impact what you're doing with the road moving forward."
"They encourage you to keep the natural nature of it if you do maintenance of it," she said. "That road's recently been maintained ... it's a voluntary thing. They encourage you to keep the natural character of it but it doesn't actually impact the way you would maintain the road in any way."
Johnson said there were no reporting requirements to the DOT and said there would be signage for the Rustic Road designation and it would be listed on a DOT website.
"It would introduce the road maybe to a few travel writers who would actually consider saying we have this super extra gorgeous road in Presque Isle," she said. "We believe at the chamber it kind of fits into the designation of Wisconsin's last wilderness."
Johnson said there were a few requirements for a road to be designated a "Rustic Road," one of them being the road has to be longer than two miles.
"It needs to be connected to a county road and the speed limit has to be under 45 miles an hour," she said. "Those are the three things."
The proposed resolution, which Johnson had filled out, was on the back of the DOT handout.
Harrison, conducting his final regular meeting as town chairman, said he wanted to look the information over.
"I've been involved with this before," he said. "The problem I see with this here is if we have a bad wind storm like we had last summer and it tears stuff up around the roads and stuff, and we cut the wrong tree and we're in this program, then they (the DOT) will raise cain with you. I don't like that."
Johnson said that was the program from years ago and reiterated the way the program is run now, the town would have jurisdiction.
Harrison said he'd look it over and have it on the next meeting agenda but town supervisor Marshall Reckard echoed Harrison's reservations about the matter and went a little further.
He said his problem was state statute 83.42 addresses Rustic Roads.
"That is the state law today," Reckard said.
He then cited a DOT administrative bulletin titled "Trans RR-1," which pertains to the Rustic Roads program.
"It's two pages of what you can't do and what you can do," Reckard said. "It limits the maintenance. Today, if we wanted to go out and do work on Crab Lake (Road), we would not be able to do it because we changed the width of the road. So, I don't know who's telling you what but that administrative bulletin is still the law of the land and there are total restrictions on what we can do in the right-of-way. People that live on it have to approve it ... there's a lot of restrictions. I only glanced at it but right now, I'm not in favor of it."
Reckard did agree to table the matter and have it brought back at the next meeting.
Brian Jopek may be reached via email at [email protected].
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