“Your criticism of council members, in particular Alderwoman Cindy Flower, is disappointing to say the least. The November 13th city council meeting is a pivotal moment for our community, as commercial development is a source of great trepidation and mistrust between residents, community leaders and outside developers. To suggest Alderwoman Flower didn’t understand simply ignores repeated requests of the developer to provide firm details of their development plan. How can one fully understand that which is not presented? The burden is on the developer to provide adequate information. A map change for zoning is significant and should be treated as such. The days of ” “TRUST US”, once we have approval, we will tell you all about it.” are over.

You, the Lake Geneva Editorial Board, seem to have forgotten the standing room only crowds at the numerous City Council and Planning Commission meetings addressing this project. We challenge you to find 5 residents who attended in support of this development. What you will find is a bunch of frustrated members of the Lake Geneva community hell bent on protecting their community from developers who left numerous issues unanswered or with ambiguous answers. Does Mayor Kupsik not represent those residents in attendance, as well?

The fact is, Lake Geneva hasn’t seen this type of community involvement over an issue in years. Community sentiment is overwhelmingly clear. We commend City Council members Chappell, Flower, Straube and Howell for listening to citizens’ voices and prioritizing community needs over commercial interests. At Care for Lake Geneva, we support responsible developments that offer long-term benefits for the community, not those that serve immediate commercial interests. For all those residents who feel they were not represented by the absence of Mayor Kupsik and Alderman Halverson, we encourage you to attend a Friends of Hillmoor meeting and get involved.

Casey Schiche, president Care for Lake Geneva