Perception is reality, or so the saying goes. For drivers of the 45,000 cars every day that travel on Interstate 41 past Johnson Street in Fond du Lac, the perception of the city has been blighted by dead ash trees and overgrown brush in the interchange.
That is, until Envision Greater Fond du Lac got involved.
As the most heavily used entrance from Interstate 41 into Fond du Lac, the intersection could be considered the city’s “front porch”, the first impression of the community offered to visitors.
At the June 2023 meeting of the Envision Advocacy Committee (a collection of business representatives who discern public policy and issues affecting the local business community), the group discussed the need to beautify the area.
“Outside perception of our community matters, and so does the way we view it ourselves,” said Chad Feucht, President of Feucht Financial Group and a member of Envision’s Advocacy Committee. “We should take some pride in our front yard, and I hope that spirit catches on around the whole city.”
As a state-owned property the interchange is restricted by Wisconsin Department of Transportation policies, which restrict dead vegetation removal to concerns of safety only, not beautification. Envision Greater Fond du Lac’s path to a positive outcome required a blend of strategic connections, persuasion, and persistence.
“When bureaucracy impedes progress, there’s power in the collective voice of the business community,” said Joe Venhuizen, Vice President of Membership & Resource Development at Envision. “I’m grateful for the Wisconsin DOT’s willingness to consider this from our perspective and allow a way forward for a more attractive entrance to the city.”
Thanks to the advocacy work of Envision, a grant from the Fond du Lac Area Foundation, and execution by the County highway department, the interchange beautification work was completed in early January. More than ten dead trees, along with unsightly brush and overgrowth were removed from the four quadrants between the interstate and its onramps/offramps.
It is a small change to Fond du Lac’s “curb appeal” that the community’s business leaders hope will ignite more efforts to improve the city’s perception, one development at a time.
Before (Google photos)
After
Before
After