County panel backs Fredonia speed limit change made without permission

An Ozaukee County committee recently voted to make permanent a change in the speed limit on Fredonia’s main street, months after it was changed without permission by the village Public Works Department.

The county Public Works Committee recommended approval of an ordinance that would extend the village’s 25 mph speed limit on Fredonia Avenue west to the village limits at the Milwaukee River.

The committee learned at its February meeting that the 35 mph speed limit on Highway A/H, which turns into Fredonia Avenue, on the west side of the village was changed to 25 mph by the Fredonia Public Works Department without the knowledge of county officials by moving the 25 mph sign at the top of the hill about a quarter mile closer to the entrance to Waubedonia Park.

County Highway Commissioner Jon Edgren said Fredonia Public Works Director Eric Paulus authorized moving the sign because residents were concerned that vehicles traveling east would “gun it” until they got up the hill, where school buses stop to pick up children from a nearby apartment complex.

The county’s old ordinance called for a 35 mph speed limit west of the village and  lowered the speed limit to 25 or 30 mph once inside the village limits.

“The problem is that the village limits have changed” and now include Waubedonia Park, Edgren said in February.

Edgren advised committee members they could change the ordinance to match the change implemented by Paulus, restore the original speed limit or perform a speed study to analyze traffic patterns.

“It seems that if they had come to us, we would have approved the change so why not change it now,” Committee Chairman Marty Wolf said at the time.

Under the new ordinance, the speed limit will be 45 mph from Cigrand Drive east to Park Road, 25 to 30 mph from Park Road east for 1/16 mile and then 25 mph through the village to Highway 57.

The County Board must approve the recommended ordinance.