Living Here

The Finance, Licensing, and Regulation Committee (FLR) met last Tuesday and discussed the five-year update of the City of Lake Geneva’s comprehensive outdoor recreation plan.
The park board awarded the bid to MSA in the amount of $16,500 which was approved at FLR and will be passed on to the city council. MSA will conduct the reviewing and planning in six phases, kicking off in April and going through December. During phase I (April – June 2021) MSA will look at the current conditions and inventory of the parks and facilities through on-site visits. The information will help with making recommendations for maintenance, replacement, or new facilities. They will also map out the current parks, trails, facilities, and service areas along with any potentially under-utilized areas.

During phase II (June – July 2021) MSA will analyze the amount of parkland available per person for city residents and then meet with the Board of Park Commissioners. They will discuss the findings from the first two phases and draft a community survey and outreach methods.

Phase III (July – August 2021) will focus on public engagement. MSA, with the help of the park board and City of Lake Geneva, will recommend that residents help assist with surveys and a public open house.

During Phase IV (August – September 20201) MSA will present its preliminary recommendations. They will develop a list of the proposed park and recreation improvements for each park. In Phase V MSA will draft the Lake Geneva Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan. Then, during Phase VI (December 2021), the final phase, MSA will present its final plan for the park board to review and recommend to the city council.

 

It’s almost time for the Easter Bunny’s yearly visit and for the Easter egg hunts to begin.
Thursday, March 25th, Elkhorn will host a flashlight egg hunt. The hunt will take place at Sunset Park starting at dusk. Children ages 8 to 14 are invited to join the egg hunt and the cost is $5 per person. Masks will be required and social distancing will be enforced. Please bring your own flashlight and basket.

The First Lutheran Church and School, on Devendorf Street in Elkhorn, is hosting a drive-thru Easter egg hunt on Saturday, March 27th, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Children will ‘find’ a bag filled with candy, activity rewards, and other treats.

Delavan will be hosting its Easter egg hunt at Phoenix Park on Saturday, April 3rd, starting at 9:45 a.m. The Easter Bunny will be in Delavan during the early morning hours to hide eggs filled with treats for kids of all ages to find.

After Delavan, the Easter Bunny will be heading to Duck Pond in Fontana at 10 a.m. This traditional egg hunt will be staged by age, so make sure to get there early and find your age group.

You can also hop on over to the William’s Bay High School Parking lot from 10 a.m. to 11:30 where you can pick up some goodies to host your very own egg hunt. The Easter Bunny will also be at the school collecting donations for the Walworth County Food Pantry.

The Easter Bunny will also be hiding eggs at the Lake Como Clubhouse at 10 a.m. for children through the age of 13. Also, on Saturday, April 3rd, the Lake Geneva Jaycees will be partnering with the Geneva Lakes Family YMCA for a social distancing egg hunt from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. or while supplies last. Each child under the age of 12 will receive one free Easter egg kit.

Then Saturday, April 10th, at the Duck Pond in Fontana, will be a doggie egg hunt. All doggies are welcome from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. to look for kibble-filled eggs. Participants must have proof of up-to-date rabies vaccination and remain on a leash (the dog has to be vaccinated, not yet the human owners).

 

Additional paid parking in Lake Geneva? City officials seem to be only concerned about the money when the council met to discuss additional parking space to be assigned in residential neighborhoods. Geneva, Warren, Madison, and Maxwell are the streets being discussed at the recent meeting. During the busy season, Lake Geneva parking is full everywhere in town and extends into the side streets and residential areas. With parking revenue up and beach revenue up the city is considering increasing the parking revenue even more with additional paid parking along the heavily utilized free parking areas.

The idea has been tossed around at several different meetings and again at the public works meeting Monday night. The item was added to the agenda as a non-action item at the request of Alderperson Hedlund. After all the public comments in person, and with correspondence read in at the meeting, Hedland decided the parking addition was a bad idea and retreated quickly on the request. The public came out and spoke strongly in opposition to the additional paid parking. The area discussed was the residential neighborhood of the Maple Park Historic District.  The residents were concerned for many valid reasons and were appalled at the idea of having to pay to park in front of their homes. The people who park in the neighborhood are mostly locals, homeowners, and downtown workers and should not have to pay, as the many speakers agreed. After hearing the public speak, the city council did not waste any more time on a discussion amongst themselves, and the item was left to die on the floor.

Place of the Week

Four Seasons Park

Four Seasons Nature Preserve on Highway H in Lake Geneva is a great park for hiking and enjoying nature. The park includes a dog park, pond, and boardwalk.

 

Sign up for Updates