County C reconstruction meeting is important

Dear Editor,

I’m writing to call the public’s attention to an important public meeting on Wednesday, June 18, 5-7 p.m. at the Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center, 5607 County Road C, Spring Green.

The purpose of the meeting will be for Iowa County officials to provide information about the reconstruction of County Road C between Highway 14 and Highway 23. The project has been divided into two parts: Part 1 is reconstruction between Highway 14 and Golf Course Road, which is slated for 2027. Part 2 is reconstruction from Golf Course Road to Hwy 23. This part is not yet scheduled because funding is proving difficult to secure.

It has recently come to our attention (and that of other businesses in the area) that if Iowa County can’t acquire funding for the project, one solution would be to close this section of road permanently, cutting off access between Golf Course Road and the Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center.

While we understand this stretch of road is complicated and costly to reconstruct, closing it would be a great hardship for many businesses and residents in the neighborhood.

For American Players Theatre, it would mean a sizable permanent detour for thousands of visitors and hundreds of staff. It would make it less likely that our visitors would go to Spring Green or Dodgeville to eat, shop and stay. Most worrying is the extra time it would take emergency vehicles coming from Spring Green or Dodgeville to reach APT and many others. Slightly different versions of these same challenges would be true for our neighbors, the Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center and The House on the Rock Resort, among others.

The economic consequences of closing the road could be quite serious. I urge anyone with an interest in avoiding this outcome to attend the public meeting on June 18 to learn more, voice your opinion, and begin to work with Iowa County to find a better solution so we can all have a save and available County C.

Thank you,

Sara Young

Managing Director

American Players Theatre

Spring Green, WI