2026-0428 PWETC Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Pascal Street between County Road B and Commerce Street, originally added based on resident feedback. The commission reached a consensus to leave the previous segment as is. Mr. Freihammer introduced a "constellation link" concept, which focuses on connecting parks rather than strictly following roadway corridors. He explained that the next segment would connect Applewood Park to Autumn Grove Park, potentially using existing and new pathways. He asked whether the group should expand the plan to include additional residential connections, such as Arona Street. Member Brokaw Palalay, speaking from her experience living in the neighborhood, expressed strong support for adding the connection, noting that residents already frequently walk between these two parks even without a formal pathway. She explained that Applewood Park is relatively small, so people often extend their walks by looping through the surrounding area, and completing this connection would create a more seamless and enjoyable route for walking dogs, exercising, and everyday recreation. She added that the distance between the parks is short and practical, making it an easy improvement with meaningful benefit, especially given the nearby apartment complexes that would likely generate consistent foot traffic. While acknowledging other nearby pathway improvements, she emphasized that this local connection serves a different purpose and would still see strong use from neighborhood residents. Chair Ficek raised a counterpoint, questioning whether it is necessary to designate a specific residential street for apathway when nearby multiple streets already provide low -speed, walkable north -south connections. He emphasized the importance of consistency in how the commission approaches adding residential streets to the plan, recalling prior discussions on whether such designations are needed when similar alternatives already exist. Mr. Freihammer responded that while consistency is important, each situation can be evaluated on its own merits, and the group does not need to apply a rigid, one -size -fits -all standard. Chair Ficek noted that in past discussions, the group has generally avoided adding residential street segments, though it is not a strict rule, and there have been exceptions. He offered this as a consideration for consistency as the group evaluates the current segment. Member Sandstrom questioned whether property owners would be assessed for a sidewalk. Page 7 of 11