Council approves special charge for new Silvernail Road sidewalk after resident debate

The Waukesha Common Council on April 15 approved a resolution to levy a special charge on abutting property owners to install a sidewalk along Silvernail Road from just east of Sussex Lane to where the current sidewalk ends near University Drive.

Why it matters: The city is rebuilding Silvernail Road as part of its 2025 capital improvement plan and is using the occasion to fill key sidewalk gaps. Council members and staff said installing the sidewalk as part of the larger road project saves money compared with building it later, while some nearby residents warned about upkeep and winter hazards.

Brandon (City of Waukesha public works staff) told the council the approved section (shown in staff exhibits as the blue segment) would connect existing sidewalks and that the special-charge process is governed by city ordinance 6.115. He said three parcels would be adjacent to the installed section and provided approximate per-parcel assessment amounts: about $1,500 for the shortest section and about $4,000 for the two longer sections. “The dollars that we showed are if we are able to construct those sections of sidewalk with the project that is currently occurring right now,” he said, noting that doing the work as part of the road project keeps costs lower.

Resident Marie Wren, who lives on a lot that backs onto Silvernail, told the council she has lived at the address since 1976 and did not see heavy pedestrian use on that stretch: “I don't think that your tax dollars need to be spent on a sidewalk that would not very well be used very much,” she said, adding a practical concern about the city’s ordinance requiring property owners to clear sidewalks within 24 hours after snow and the difficulty that would create for elderly residents.

Alder Rick Lemke said he opposed holding the resolution and argued sidewalks improve safety: “We're talking about safety and a little kid getting hit or a dog getting hit and the sidewalk is cheaper to go in now than it is to go in after the road is built,” he said. Alder Van Trieste (whose district includes the affected properties) asked to hold consideration so she could meet with residents; other alderpersons said the board of public works had already considered multiple alignment options and recommended only the blue (east-of-Sussex) section.

A motion to adopt the resolution—consistent with the Board of Public Works recommendation to install the blue segment only—was moved and seconded on the floor. Council took a roll-call vote and the motion passed unanimously. City staff said if the red segment (a separate section residents had asked about) is revisited later and added to the ongoing project, the contractor could be directed to construct it, but if it’s delayed until after the project is complete the cost to build that segment would be significantly higher.

Next steps: The city will issue the statutorily required notices to the affected property owners under the special-charge process; staff said timing remains tight but there appeared to be enough time to proceed with the current construction schedule.