Roadwork delay has Antioch feeling snubbed

An Antioch trustee is taking delayed roadwork personally.

Scott Pierce said improvements originally scheduled to be completed this year on North Avenue have been delayed until at least 2009, making him question if Antioch is being forgotten by Lake County.

"I can't help but think if we were in Suzi Schmidt's district this would have been done already," Pierce said referring to the Lake County Board chairman. "They keep delaying, and the road gets worse, worse and worse. I think it is because we are Antioch."

Schmidt said accusing the county of playing favorites is absurd.

"That is the most outrageous thing I have heard in my entire life," she said. "Anyone who knows me knows we follow the plan. I have never pushed money for a project in my district or any district."

North Avenue, from Deep Lake Road to Route 83, is slated for complete reconstruction. That includes repaving, new curbs, gutters and sidewalks.

The project will cost $5.5 million, said Marty Buehler, county engineer.

"We're not picking on Antioch or anyone else, just trying to get the most for the money we do have," Buehler said. "Because of fuel, steel and concrete prices increasing more than inflation, there are cost pressures on all of our projects."

Buehler said the North Avenue project is currently scheduled for 2010, which is actually good for Antioch since the county is anticipating a budget deficit in 2011 and 2012 and projects slated for those years could be delayed even longer.

Mayor Dorothy Larson said while she doesn't agree with Pierce's criticism of Schmidt, she does feel Antioch is often snubbed.

"Here we go again, everyone thinks Antioch is Wisconsin and apparently Lake County feels the same way," Larson said. "This is very disappointing because as our community has grown, North Avenue has become a major traffic arterial."

Lake County board member Judy Martini, who represents Antioch, said she is just as disappointed as Larson and Pierce but added the county has to be realistic about which roads are fixed.

"We are behind on a lot of projects because we just aren't getting our fair share (of funding) from the state," Martini said. "There are many projects on the waiting list. The municipalities are wearing out the roads faster than we can fix them."