Germantown board backs preliminary Division Road design; staff instructed to pursue right-of-way and path options

The Germantown Village Board on Jan. 20 authorized staff to continue preliminary design for a multi-segment Division Road project that would reconstruct pavement, improve pedestrian connections and install storm sewer in sections with steep ditches.

Public outreach and purpose: Village engineers said the work responds to public input about safety and connectivity, showing a proposed approach that stitches existing paths into a contiguous north-south route and reduces steep roadside ditches by installing storm sewer where needed. "One of the themes of tonight is, in order to do this project, I feel the right way. We need to take some time to clean some of this up," Director of Public Works Matt Mortwed said as he described parcels with private property rights extending to the centerline and the need for easements.

Right-of-way and cost questions: Engineers told trustees that many parcels own out to the center line and that negotiated acquisitions and appraisals would likely be the first step; Mortwed estimated acquisition costs would typically be relatively low per parcel but that total could add up. Village Attorney Sajak said a contentious seller could delay the project and that alternatives exist to achieve safety improvements within the existing right-of-way if negotiations stall.

Paths and park connections: Staff proposed constructing an 8-foot-wide path in many sections, moving paths off the right-of-way where possible and closing gaps that force pedestrians onto the road. Trustees asked for a cost estimate to extend paths on the west side where the staff design currently uses crosswalks and mid-block connections; staff said impact-fee funding for recreational trails includes about $396,000 for Division Road.

Other features: Staff recommended targeted crossing improvements, speed-notification signs at curves, intersection cleanup near Donjas Bay Road to remove offset driveways and potential small off-road parking at Jefferson Ditch to reduce unsafe roadside parking. Mortwed described using a phased approach: set 2025 work, then evaluate later phases annually.

Board action: A motion to approve the staff plan, with the exception that staff return with cost analysis for adding the west-side path segments and for a small parking area by Jefferson Ditch, carried unanimously.

Next steps: Staff will begin necessary right-of-way appraisals and coordinate with property owners; if acquisitions are needed, the board will review offers. Mortwed said the total project was budgeted at about $3.3 million including design and construction, but that appraisals and utility relocations could change the final figure.