City will let public appraise its lake park plans

Muskego - Assuming the city and property owners can reach an agreement on a price, the creation of a park along Little Muskego Lake will face additional public input.

Muskego Mayor Kathy Chiaverotti said last week a meeting will be held on the controversial proposal.

Those against the idea were worried that the Common Council would go ahead with the proposed purchase of most of two lake homes and lake frontages from two more without more public input, but the mayor eased concerns on that front.

Working from appraisals

For now, there is no deal in place. The city and the four property owners that would give up land for the park are negotiating.

In a closed session last week, the Muskego Common Council began deliberations about whether to buy almost all of two homes and beach frontage from two more as part of the effort.

The two homes at W18004 and W17960 Janesville Roadare are worth a total of $3.7 million, and the strips along the lake added another $869,000, bringing the total to $4,365,000.

Opening up the discussion

While the council debated behind closed doors, as state statutes allow for real estate purchases, several residents along the lake stood in the hallway wanting a chance to speak.

Aldermen were split on the public input. Some aldermen noted that the public has had a chance to speak on two previous occasions: when the park proposal was unveiled in August and when the council approved a resolution enabling the city to obtain the appraisals.

But that isn't enough, said aldermen Dan Soltysiak and Kert Harenda.

"This is the most controversial issue in the city," Soltysiak said. "I'd like to see an explicit opportunity for public input."

Chiaverotti agreed.

The mayor said if a price can be agreed on, a meeting will be held and an overview given, after which everyone can offer their opinions.

Support and opposition

In fact, people are already giving input - some for, some against.

Supporters of the park plan turned out in force to speak at the comment portion of last week's council meeting.

That only served to frustrate others in the audience who oppose the plan. Through a misunderstanding, they thought comment on the park would not be accepted.

Those who oppose the prospect could have had a lot of people at a public hearing, said Jerry LeClaire, a leader of the opposition, who lives in the Bay Breeze condominiums located one house east of the proposed park.

They said lots of questions need to be answered before the city buys the homes, including whether the city can afford to develop and then maintain another park and whether there is enough room for parking.

They also doubted that the loss of tax base from two mansions would be made up for by a separate plan by developer to build four homes and one commercial building beside the park.

Aldermen division, too

Harenda agreed that more financial answers are needed.

"I want to make sure we have maintenance and development costs. I want the whole thing," he said.

But Alderman Noah Fielder was not as concerned about not having such information now.

The council put money into the budget for a purchase, Fiedler said and beyond that, the council should rely on the Parks & Recreation Board's advice to pursue a park on the lake and whether the city can handle another park.

Cost is clearly a consideration, he acknowledged, but the biggest factor as he sees it is whether the city can obtain value if it buys the land. Value is not only in tax base but in quality of life and better and more visible access to Little Muskego Lake, Fiedler said.

Development pressure

This could be their last chance to get a park on the lake, as Ener-Con Companies has plans to develop all four properties into residential and some commercial, said attorney Gary Boisits, who also sits on the parks board.

"Something will happen," Shirley Bykowski said to the council last week in describing the park as "a gift to future generations."