Letter to the Editor

Dear City of Lake Geneva Officials;

One of the comments that I have heard from a few of you is that no one has ever presented a viable plan for the Hillmoor property or come forth with any plausible ideas. If you had the time to review past plan commission and council meeting videos, you would find that the opposite is true. I presented the city with a plan several years ago, when I thought that it might be possible for the city to  purchase Hillmoor, and had a unique opportunity to solve the traffic congestion problem.  I have spoken about this with a few of you, but some of you were not council members or officials at the time.

Following was my proposal: The mainstay of our Lake Geneva economy is Tourism! Why not use a part of the Hillmoor property to build a proper Visitors Center. Make it really nice, perhaps to look like the historic Railroad Station of years ago.  A structure and area that would say, “We welcome you to this beautiful, and very special place in the world”. This addition along with an area for (paid) parking would actually filter traffic OFF of Route 50. Then, a shuttle bus or trolley could take people into the downtown area without even traversing Route 50, because I believe there is an access point on the west boundary of Hillmoor. This would help solve the problem of traffic congestion.  (Williamsburg, Virginia solved its’ traffic problem in much the same way).

I think the BID could get behind this with some kind of an incentive coupon book for people that ride the trolley into town and shop in their stores (perhaps a discount of some value). Next, utilize other parts of the property for recreational value. Ever since I have lived here, I have heard about the desire for a community outdoor ice skating rink.  The HiIlmoor property is the perfect spot! Again, make it great looking, with nice looking lighting and perhaps a warming house or tent, and concessions (maybe that would be a couple of food trucks or the like. A canoe launch on the White River is a natural, along with walking paths (the cart paths are already there), cross-country skiing, and the like. Many other ideas have come forth for the responsible use of that property that would be of benefit to the citizens and our visitors. The above was the basic element of my proposal. The REALITY now is that it is probably going to take private investment to make the above happen. I believe that can be accomplished, and I along with others would be willing to  spearhead that effort.  If that means working with the current owner of the property to come up with a plan to make his purchase economically viable and beneficial to the community at the same time, then I am offering to do that as well.  Your constituents are voicing their concerns and great OPPOSITION to this project.

If the Comprehensive plan is changed on  Hillmoor,  a magnificent piece of Lake Geneva will be destroyed forever and the city will encounter insurmountable issues of traffic congestion etc. The bulldozers are waiting in the wings to tear apart and destroy this beautiful property. (What if this development group starts and then defaults as they have done on other projects? The property will already be destroyed, age old trees lost and we will be left with an even more unsightly problem than already exists.) I would hope that you would take some time and review the November 30, 2015 joint meeting of the Plan Commission and City Council.

The citizens were PASSIONATE about the preservation of Hillmoor then, and even more now. Let’s learn from the past and LOOK FORWARD to responsible progress for the city of Lake Geneva. Your decision will impact the future of Lake Geneva for generations. Please deny the comprehensive plan change. If you give us a chance, we can work this out, and come up with a solution.

Kind regards, Charlene Klein 817 Wisconsin Street cell 847-867-8684

 

Poetry

If I could tweak a few things,
In this wonderful world,

I would,
I would,

Refashion mosquitos,
And make them all vegetarian.

I would,
I would,

Redesign raspberries and roses,
So they’d have no thorns,

I would,
I would,

Refashion gravity,
Half is enough,

I would,
I would,

Cancel climate change,
Because winters are so cool.

I would,
I would,

 

Carol Hatch Frandolig   Late of Lake Geneva now in Lincoln, Nebraska

Sign up for Updates