NEENAH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Some residents in Neenah have been against the city putting a trail in their backyards.
But, after years of fighting it, the Lakeshore Trail formally opened Wednesday.
The trail is located on Lakeshore Avenue and winds along the Lake Winnebago shoreline in the city of Neenah.
“Quite honestly, five years from now, people are gonna look back and say, ‘What was the problem?’” said Neenah Mayor Dean Kaufert.
What’s the problem? Well, that depends on who you ask.
For residents, along Neenah’s lakeshore, like Rick Mosbacher, there are actually three main concerns he has about the new trail.
“Safety, environmental and cultural. All are a major concern to us, as owners of the properties.”
As the ribbon was sliced, introducing the now-Helen Kimberly Stuart Trail, others worried about what else would be cut in the future.
“You can see these huge trees behind me – all their roots are now covered by 8 feet of concrete, so environmentally, we were very concerned that we’re going to lose all these beautiful trees,” said Mosbacher.
Kaufert tells FOX 11 the city has consulted with experts and arborists, and he’s confident that won’t be the case.
“We can show you different parts of the city, where sidewalks were put in right next to trees, and they flourished. They’re still flourishing for 20 years later, so I think that’s somewhat of a red herring.”
The trail, once about a 20-foot-wide road, is now narrower at 13 feet, bubbling up questions about safety.
Since the making of the trail, and without any speed limit signs posted, homeowners say, cars just go flying by.
“We have cars down on our end doing 50 mph, at least,” Mosbacher said.
Mayor Kaufert says, speed limit readings for the project showed, on average, cars traveled 16.3 mph. But, to ease some concerns, he says he has asked police for more enforcement and the 15 mph speed limit will soon be posted.
“It seems to me that now, taking bicycle traffic, the pedestrian traffic off the street and putting it on a trail is a lot safer.”
Kaufert says, the entire area is where Native Americans had settled. During the digging for this project, artifacts and burial grounds were discovered. Kaufert says, the city spent about $200,000 for the University of Wisconsin Multicultural Center to catalogue all of the findings.
Kaufert and those opposed to the trail can still agree on one thing – the area is a gem in the city.
But, some residents say, the fight isn’t over.
“We’re actually in court,” said Mosbacher. “It’s at the appellate level, at this point.”
Neighbors initially sued the city in March 2020.
The city of Neenah won that legal battle.
