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Waunakee board approves Rotary’s 29-foot decorative arch for Village Park
Summary
The Village Board approved the Waunakee Rotary Club’s proposal to build a 29-foot-wide commemorative arch at the main entrance to Village Park, with site work, footings and utilities to follow; the project was presented as a $50,000‑plus legacy gift and is expected to cost nearer $75,000–$80,000.
The Village Board of the Village of Waunakee on an unanimous voice vote approved construction of a decorative arch at the Main Street entrance to Village Park as a 50‑year legacy gift from the Waunakee Rotary Club.
The arch, as presented by Ken, chair of the Rotary’s community projects committee, would span about 29 feet across the park entrance, provide a minimum 14‑foot clearance so fire and emergency vehicles can pass, and sit near the Veterans Memorial. The Rotary said the club intended the project as a legacy piece and budgeted a minimum of $50,000, with trustees told bids have put the likely cost in the $75,000–$80,000 range; the Rotary said it can approve up to $100,000 if needed.
Why it matters: Board members and the parks committee said the arch will be a highly visible downtown feature, complement the long‑running Rotary lights display and draw pedestrian traffic to the Veterans Memorial and village center.
Rotary representatives described key site and construction details. Two existing brick entrance columns dated 1933 and 1935 would be removed because they obstruct sight lines; the Rotary intends to preserve the dated stones and incorporate them into the new design. Engineers are designing footings the presenters estimated at about a 5‑by‑5‑foot pad, 5 feet deep. The club also proposed electrical work for up‑lighting and decorative fixtures.
Architect Owen Aydellot (known as Steve) supplied a conceptual design that includes bolted, painted historic cutouts representing local landmarks — the depot, water tower, Main Street, the canning factory and church steeples — so components can be replaced or repainted over time. Painter Abby Wilson was named as the contractor to apply color after powder coating. The presenters told trustees the design would be bolted rather than welded so individual pieces can be maintained or changed later.
Trustees asked staff and the Rotary several technical questions about clearance, materials and mounting. Trustee Joe Zitzelsberger and others asked whether the fire department had reviewed the minimum clearance; presenters said the 14‑foot clearance is intended to allow fire apparatus to pass and that staff had sought fire department input. Trustees also discussed the final design and whether the image in the packet matched the current concept; Rotary presenters said the design had evolved and invited further input before final fabrication.
The board motion to approve construction of the arch as a Rotary legacy gift carried with no recorded opposition. The Rotary said it hopes to have the arch fabricated and painted by late summer with an installation timed for the village’s rotary lights event if schedules and bids allow.
