© 2024 WXPR
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

No Solution To Pleasure Island Road Fix

commons.wikimedia.org

A joint meeting between the Eagle River city council and Northland Pines board of education last Wednesday over the condition of Pleasure Island road and options to improve it resulted in over an hour of discussion but no solution.

Mayor Jeff Hyslop indicated the city twice applied for grants and both were denied. “It's our road and has gone from seasonal use when Pleasure Island theme park operated to one of the heaviest used roads in the city,” the Mayor said.

The estimated repair cost was $156,000 but school board member John Sarama felt the entire length wasn't needed, just south from Highway 45 to the school campus. Board member Jim Mulleady felt the city shouldn't bear the entire cost since most of eastern Vilas County uses it to reach the schools.

Extending Highway G to the schools was proposed in the past and rejected, however, presently four of the five county highway committee members live in the school district.

District administrator Mike Richie was asked if they could lend the city the money to fix the road. “I asked our attorney's, Dept. of Public Instruction, and our auditors and all agreed it was legal but said it would be a really, really, bad business decision,” Richie said. If no solution, the city will continue to fix 300 feet a year as they are now doing; taking eight years to complete the work.

Up North Updates
* indicates required