Eagle River City Council voted to approve changes to the zoning of Riverside Park.
The Vilas County-owned property will be zoned for a potential housing development.
Riverside Park is the property between the river and the fairgrounds, not be confused with Riverview Park which is just down the street with pickleball courts.
Riverside Park in Eagle River is greatly underutilized- that many agree on. What the future of that property should be has recently become a point of contention in the community.
As the Vilas County News Review first reported, Vilas County Board Chair Jerry Burkett introduced the idea of developing the property into housing as a way to help the city and county pay their bills.
The property is county-owned, but need’s the city approval for zoning changes to make that happen.
At Tuesday’s City Council meeting majority of the people making public comment spoke in opposition to the plan with concerns that ranged from potential environmental impacts to loss of public land to overdevelopment of the area.
“This is a short-term solution for a long-term issue,” told Ann Carlson city council.
Several people questioned why the zoning change couldn’t wait for an impact study or until the property is sold.
“I'd like to see at least the rezoning to residential tabled. Property values are going up. I see no reason to be rushing into this,” Bill Marshall commented.
Burkett, who is also a city alderperson, said the county and city have limited options when it comes to generating more revenue.
“I don’t blame you for wanting that land to stay there. I don’t blame you at all. We have to start getting creative to pay the bills,” said Burkett.
Both he and Mayor Debra Brown spoke about how the levy limits on counties and municipalities has put them in a “chokehold” as Brown described it. Developing this property into housing would put it back on the tax roll.
“If we want to keep a police department, we want to keep public works, we want to keep the streets plowed it's expensive. We have cut and cut and cut to where we are bare bones,” said Brown. “It is very, very difficult to operate and keep people, good people, working, and give them the benefits and do all the things that the people want us to do.”
Brown told people at the meeting that 50% of property in the city is tax exempt and that there are five other parks within the city limits.
Vic Washelesky, the one alderperson who voted no, didn’t think the zoning change fit in with the city’s comprehensive plan. He also questioned why the zoning change couldn’t wait until the property was sold or who would pay for resurfacing the road after construction was done.
City council voted two to one to change the zoning from parks and recreation to Single Two-Family Residential. Burkett abstained.
They also approved a plat dividing the land into 10 lots. There are two sections on either end of the property not included in those lots.
According to an information packet provided by the city, the zone changes still need to be approved by the state.
The Vilas County Board still has to vote on selling the property. The agenda for the next meeting on Tuesday, January 27 has not yet been posted.
WXPR emailed Burkett asking if the topic would be brought up in that meeting. We did not get a response by the time this article posted.
