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DIVIDE AND CONQUER
Continental Properties, whom nobody has ever heard of around Geneva Lake, is coming to Lake Geneva on the oblique. This operation wants to build a large development at the corner of Townline and Edwards Boulevard, so that, like with Symphony Bay (a big grand thanks to you, Mr. Pollard), more traffic can be added to that growing part of town. That growing part that has no fire department extension located nearby since all these homes, duplexes, and apartments (like you can see from Edwards Boulevard by driving by) can burn like those buildings everyone saw for themselves in Lahaina, Hawaii. There must be signals on that Bypass and there have to be plenty of park land spots and recreational facilities to support all the new people that will be coming to live in those places.
That is, of course, if all these new builders, and existing ones who want to build more, are not building these places to become short term rentals. The State of Wisconsin has unwisely decided that no limiting regulations should apply to these short new rental places. The second developer presenting more than a passing plan about the fact that they are coming (thanks for the warning) is called Lakeside LLC. It wants to build as development along South Lake Shore Drive in front of Summerset neighborhood. They want multi-family structures to be allowed. The neighborhood wants none of that.
Basso is the third builder. A builder of quality well known throughout the Geneva Lake area. He now wants a gated multi-family development over by Mobil and Wells Street. Will this be short term rentals, as well? Nobody knows because nobody must tell much of the truth anymore in their building submission plans. At least the impact fees have been re-instated so some of the costs of this coming construction will be borne by these aggressive developers. There is a potential good side to all this new stuff coming in. That’s the possibility (and it’s only a vague possibility at this time) that affordable housing may be in the cards for people who want to actually live, reside, and work in the Lake Geneva community.
Only time will tell about all of this. Supposedly, and it turned out to be based on rumors all along, the Clerk of the Court in Madison has dispelled some of the hope that was placed on a new regulation (again, allegedly approved by the court) that would have required property owners to be in any residence in Madison built and used for the purpose of short-term renting. That Clerk indicated this past week that those rumors were not true. There are no restrictions in place anywhere in or around Madison that force short term rentals to conform to any regulations not set by the state and legally supported by the communities these structures are being built in and around.
What is it that complaining resident can do when short term renters do things during their brief stays to totally screw up a neighborhood. They must call the police, and not take matters into their own hands. Nobody is doing much calling in, although there are tons of complaints verbally discussed at city meetings with respect to huge violations. Giant parties, people passing out in front yards, loud music at all hours, parking violations of every sort are said to be common. It’s time to inform the police, and the Lake Geneva Police Department is waiting. They will be more than happy to take these calls.
