PRESCOTT – The Prescott City Council approved a proposal to turn Orrin Road into a cul-de-sac east of Campbell Street as part of an application for a WisDOT Transportation Alternatives Program Grant at the Oct. 27 meeting. The approval is for the grant application only, not for a final site plan.

According to the city council packet, the city directed Cedar Corporation in October 2023 to submit a grant through the TAP. The city had heard from residents the need to enhance pedestrian and bicyclist transportation options along the US Highway 10/State Highway 35/29 corridor, to improve safety and connectivity to other areas of town. The project is eligible for 80% federal funding through TAP, up to a maximum of $194,106.06. The City of Prescott will be responsible for the remaining 20%, estimated at $48,526.50.

“The aim of TAP is to provide safe crossings and trails that connect local schools and businesses,” the packet states.

“The study is to address the lack of pedestrian and bicycle facilities to provide safe passage for pedestrians across US 10 and WIS 29/35. The purpose of this study is to evaluate locations and types of pedestrian crossings to provide safe passage for pedestrians across the highways,” said City Administrator Matt Wolf.

As part of the application process, the city held two public involvement meetings, one on March 20, the other on Sept. 10. People were also asked to provide comments on potential crossings on a project webpage.

“As part of the study, one of the areas that has proved the hardest to address has been the Campbell, Orrin and US Highway 10 intersections, specifically since they’re stacked right on top of each other,” Wolf said.

The Plan Commission reviewed two options. One was to shut down the Orrin Road connection to Campbell Street on the east side for a crosswalk to go through at the stoplight and vehicles to stack on Campbell Street, removing the need to create a gap for Orrin Road through traffic.

The other was to create mid-block crossings with rapid flashing beacon crosswalk signs along Orrin Road on both the east and west sides of Campbell, plus an additional mid-block crossing on Campbell Street.

Both Plan Commission and City Council preferred the first option.

Eight people attended the Sept. 10 informational meeting: Five represented Cernohous Chevrolet and The Old Ptacek’s Event Center. They said the closure of Orrin Road (at Campbell) would harm customer access to their businesses and negatively impact their business as a result, create confusion for drivers and result in lost traffic to their locations. They felt the intersection is problematic and crash-prone but that the proposed changes would make it worse. They also felt there is not enough pedestrian traffic in the area to justify such a large-scale project and having an at-grade stoplight-controlled crossing.

“Based on that feedback, we’re proposing two different options,” Wolf said.

The updated plan would remove all pedestrian improvements from Highway 10/Orrin Road/Campbell Street and change the direction of the pedestrian bridge towards Canton Street. Pedestrians would be directed down Canton Street, then east at St. Croix Street.

“We took these two ideas to the Wisconsin DOT for some feedback” and asked their preference for the intersection, Wolf said.

The DOT representative said they prefer the Orrin Road closure but have no control over a local road. The DOT is planning a pavement resurfacing project in 2028-29. However, if and when WisDOT has a project for full reconstruction of the corridor (adding lanes, changing intersection configuration, roundabouts, etc.) the DOT would require the Orrin Road closure, which would have to be approved by the city.

“So one of the things that has at least come up a couple times when I’ve talked to people is that they have mentioned this intersection is a mess, but then they’ll follow it up with, but let’s wait until DOT figures out a solution and let them,” Wolf said.

However, what he and Engineer Greg Adams have heard is that the DOT is not correcting this problem for the city. It’s up to the city to figure out a solution for the dangerous intersection.

The next step in the project is an application to the TAP Program for design and construction funding. Phase 1 is expected to cost $5.8 million with the city’s share being $1.19 million if the grant is awarded. The city already has $1.5 million within the Capital Improvement Plan for work on Orrin Road pushed from 2026 to 2027.

The council gave feedback on the new option presented, as well as the previous one selected.

“I live near the high school, and the most people I ever see walking are kids home from school,” said Alderperson Lindsay Sorenson. “So I think it’d be silly to direct traffic away. I don’t know where they would go. They’re always running alongside that road.”

“When access is given, we’ll see an increase in traffic for sure, especially from my neighborhood on the north side, both going up to the school and also towards IGA and just toward this whole area up here,” said Alderperson Adam Granquist.

“I still like the closure of the road if we can’t get a roundabout,” said Alderperson Maureen Otwell. “And that’s out of the picture until DOT decides to redo the whole intersection at some time in the future.”

She also liked the idea of possibly reopening Orrin Road with a roundabout in the future.

“I don’t think it’s inconvenient to go another half a block,” she added.

Alderperson Michael Gerke suggested putting a sign directing visitors to those businesses to the roundabout near the high school Granquist agreed.

“I think the businesses that have said something, people aren’t typically just driving down the road,” seeing them and wanting to stop there. They’re planning to go there. GPS will lead them there and they are looking for it,” he said.

Ultimately, the council voted to keep the Orrin Road closure option while proceeding with the grant application.

Foley expansion

The city council approved a site plan and development agreement for Foley Prescott LLC (1750 Ryden Road) for a 36,374 square-foot addition. The existing building, constructed in 2020, measures 67,218 square feet.

“They design a number of cutters for lawnmower equipment,” Wolf said. “They do some new items as well with a device that pushes air into the ground to loosen it up for better grass growth, which is used in a number of applications for athletic, like football fields, soccer fields and golf courses as well.”

Foley has identified about $4 million in new investment for the addition, expected to create about 22 new jobs with wages in the $60,001 per year (including benefits) or above range. According to the city council packet, the business will have a guaranteed minimum assessed value of $5,524,800, generating an increment of $1,794,400; 95% of the tax increment will be paid back to the developer over the next seven years as an incentive, totaling $197,603. The property is part of Tax Increment District #6.

“Due to job growth and capital investment in the community, Plan Commission recommended its approval,” Wolf said.