The public was asked last week to choose a new look for a soon-to-be-upgraded downtown Rhinelander intersection and the city council made a choice Monday night.
Public Works Director Tim Kingman said the original streetside design of the Brown and Davenport Street intersection couldn't be done because of subsurface vaults and the cost involved to have the design. The city gave four options for the public to vote on. By a wide margin, the public wanted a more decorative design with decorative paving and crosswalks. Kingman cautioned that this design might wear out sooner than the other proposals, but said the public voted and he recommended going with that design.
Council member Steve Sauer asked for caution, saying this design had not been approved in an exchange with council member Mark Pelletier...
"(Pelletier) that was in the original scope of work that we looked at and it was what we got bids on and it was approved...(Sauer) Streetscape, from what we were told, was not included in the bids...."
Kingman said this work already had been approved by council. The more decorative intersection passed the council 6-2 margin.
The council also approved a conditional use permit for Expera Specialty Solutions to modify the former Printpak building on Kemp Street for use as a manufacturing facility. Officials say the project as more hurdles to jump, but this gives permission to make building modifications to bring the new production facilities to the closed Printpak building. If completed, 20 jobs would be established.
