City staff to study right‑of‑way dedication and repair options for privately owned north‑side street

City staff presented options Tuesday to address long‑standing maintenance and access problems on a privately owned 30‑foot gravel street on Oshkosh's north side, telling the council the block has deteriorated to the point the U.S. Postal Service warned it would stop delivery and sanitation trucks have difficulty accessing homes.

Staff outlined four paths: do nothing; press the private owner to act; perform a one‑time, cost‑recovered maintenance (using asphalt millings and graders) to restore basic passability; or pursue dedication of a 60‑foot public right‑of‑way and construct a street to city standards. The one‑time maintenance was described by Ryan, operations staff, as a temporary fix: “we were going to haul in some asphalt millings and take our graders out there… and then kind of roll it flat,” but he warned the work would likely require repeat efforts after spring thaw and heavy weather.

Officials provided rough cost estimates for the long‑term options: an asphalt street without full drainage was estimated at about $500,000–$700,000 plus right‑of‑way costs; a full concrete street with drainage, curb and gutter was estimated at approximately $1.5 million–$1.75 million plus right‑of‑way acquisition and clearance of existing utility easements. Staff noted special assessments of adjacent property owners would likely fund construction if the city pursued dedication, reflecting language in an earlier developers agreement that anticipated cost sharing when additional land became available.

Council members said the scale of potential assessments concerns residents. One council member illustrated the cost by dividing the higher estimate among roughly 20 properties — “that’s like $80,000 a piece,” the member said — and noted at least one parcel adjacent to the corridor lies outside city limits, which would complicate cost allocation.

Staff recounted the street’s ownership history, naming prior holders including DNF Investments LLC and Jackson Land Company LLC (linked to Dennis Schwab) and noting Copul Road LLC assumed ownership around 2015. Staff said the current owner has not consistently maintained the roadway and that, in the past, adjacent residents performed ad hoc repairs to restore postal service.

At the meeting a person identifying themself as a property owner offered to transfer the parcels to the city in principle — “I will give you the parcels, you can have them,” they said — and council members requested any written offer be provided to staff. City staff cautioned that if the city takes ownership it would need to compensate owners according to applicable statutes and that existing WPS easement rights over portions of the land would need to be cleared to ensure full municipal control.

Rather than committing to an immediate capital project, the council coalesced around directing staff to start outreach and study the options in more detail, including talking with residents, getting topo or design information, estimating right‑of‑way costs, and returning with findings. The workshop adjourned after staff were asked to document outreach and report back to the council.

Next steps: staff will notify residents, gather more precise design and cost data, and return to the council with recommendations and any written owner offers.