Dodge County approves Phase 2 of Gold Star Memorial Trail; easement deadlines tied to federal grant

The Dodge County Land Resources and Parks Committee on Jan. 12 gave preliminary approval to Phase 2 of the Gold Star Memorial Trail, a planned nonmotorized bicycle and pedestrian connection along State Highway 33 that would link Horicon to Beaver Dam and the Wild Goose State Trail.

Staff described a final design of a 10‑foot asphalt trail with shoulders and a 29‑foot separation from the traveled portion of the highway in many places, and reported the project has secured a $1,100,000 federal Transportation Alternatives Program grant and a $260,000 Department of Natural Resources grant along with local donations. Staff said the design required about 0.899 acres of permanent easement and about 1.42 acres of temporary easements across roughly 14 properties; at the time of the hearing six easements were in process and eight remained unresolved.

The presenter emphasized the project timeline: "Construction is scheduled to take place this summer, and, in fact must begin this summer, or we lose the $1,000,000 federal grant," increasing urgency to finalize easements and designs. Supporters — including the Friends of Dodge County Parks, Gold Star families and the mayor of Horicon — said the trail would improve safety and community health and bring visitors to the area.

Several landowners voiced opposition or reservations about the proposed alignment, citing impacts on farm operations, drainage and the placement of culverts and permanent easements. Ryan Nell, a landowner at the corner of East Road and Highway 33, said the family is opposed and emphasized the need for both temporary and permanent easements to be negotiated: "We are opposed to this going through. We are requesting that a temporary and permanent easement is needed from us." Farmers raised concerns about automated equipment and asked how crossings and trail‑driveway intersections would be reinforced.

Staff and project representatives said design adjustments are possible to minimize impacts and that driveway crossings can be reinforced and given extra‑thick asphalt; they also noted the trail is nonmotorized under current policy and that e‑bikes would need explicit policy clarification. The committee discussed safety at farm crossings and the right‑to‑farm issues, added a right‑to‑farm acknowledgement as a condition, and accepted five staff‑recommended conditions addressing permits, construction timing, archaeological monitoring near a registered cemetery, and design constraints tied to grant requirements.

The committee voted to grant preliminary approval of the conditional use permit subject to those conditions, while staff continues to negotiate remaining easements and final design refinements required by DOT and grant terms.

What happens next: The county intends to finalize remaining easements and design details before mid‑summer construction. If easements are not secured or grant conditions cannot be met, the county may need to revise the route or forfeit federal funding.