County outlines North Sherman reconstruction; Brown Deer board votes to change mailing addresses and study reimbursements

Milwaukee County and Village of Brown Deer staff detailed a 2026 reconstruction of North Sherman Boulevard and the adjacent segment of Titonia Avenue on May 19, and trustees voted to change mailing addresses for properties affected by the realignment at the conclusion of construction.

Mark Hilliard, Milwaukee County project manager, told the board the project will reconstruct Sherman Boulevard from Bradley to the roundabout at Green Bay Road, close the north leg of the roundabout at Antonia and Bradley, widen sidewalks to eight feet and remove an on-street combination bike lane in favor of the wider sidewalk. The project is scheduled to begin in spring 2026 and is expected to last about one year.

Hilliard said the redesign includes a new median opening north of a southbound left-turn lane to allow West-side residents to make U-turns and that the county removed proposed bump-outs after feedback from residents and highway maintenance. He described the intent to move bicyclists onto the new, wider sidewalks rather than providing on-street bike lanes.

County staff also described plans to obtain excess right-of-way from the county following a portion of the road vacation. That vacation could free roughly six acres of land for redevelopment; staff said Milwaukee County’s economic development group is prepared to convey the excess right-of-way to the village for a nominal amount (described in the meeting as “a dollar”) to facilitate future redevelopment and return the land to the tax rolls.

Trustees and residents raised pedestrian-connection concerns. One attendee asked for a sidewalk connection north of the railroad bridge to link neighborhood routes to the new sidewalk; the county said that connection would be outside county scope and would require village coordination.

The road geometry and speed limits were discussed. County staff indicated plans to make speed limits uniform in the project area, noting a uniform 35 mph target on the county’s segment; coordination with police and adjacent jurisdictions would be needed for segments under village or Milwaukee control.

The reconstruction presentation led into a separate but related village decision about mailing addresses that will change because Titonia Avenue will no longer intersect Sherman in the same place after the project. Staff presented three options: leave existing addresses unchanged (which would result in eight or nine properties changing automatically under postal addressing rules), switch about nine properties to Titonia, or switch about 60 properties to Sherman. Staff estimated preliminary reimbursement costs for owners who must change printed materials and records at roughly $400–$800 for the small set and $4,500–$7,000 for the larger set, depending on the reimbursement approach.

Trustee Greaves moved, and Trustee Johnson seconded, a motion to change mailing addresses for properties in the 8100–8330 block to North Sherman Boulevard at the conclusion of the road reconstruction project; the board approved the motion unanimously. The board also approved a separate motion directing staff to develop a reimbursement program and formal procedures for property owners to seek compensation for address-change costs; staff will return with a detailed proposal and exact cost estimates.

Both motions include timing tied to the project completion: the address change will go into effect when the roadway reopens to general traffic and street signs are in place. Staff said they will time postal notifications and sign changes to coincide with construction completion to minimize interim confusion.

The board’s decisions also noted coordination needs with neighboring jurisdictions for street-name consistency where municipal boundaries intersect the project corridor (for example, portions of 40th Street divide Brown Deer and Milwaukee jurisdictions). Staff said more detailed procedures and cost estimates for the reimbursement program will be brought to the board in the coming months.