Our Place
CITY SUED FOR $55,645,000!
From the dark shadows of some real estate graveyard located deep inside the interior dimensions of the City of Chicago, the White River Holdings monster rises and lashes out.
White River is suing the City of Lake Geneva for millions. A copy of the entire legal claim that was served on the city last Thursday, the 29th of March, is in this issue. What kind of a complaint does the WRH real estate monster allege? Three complaints, and then some.
According to the claim document, the first complaint reads as follows: “The White River Application and Future Land Use Amendment met no objection or resistance from the various committees and individuals required to review it, highlighted by the first reading unanimous City Council vote to approve the application.”
Say what? What kind of attorney firm is this Smith Amundsen outfit? The attorney, Brad Goss, should know that there is no vote on the first reading of an application. None. As in nada, nein and nope.
Their second WRH real estate monster complaint: “By insisting the Hillmoor Tract be used as a public park, Lake Geneva has inversely condemned the Hillmoor Tract and White River is due compensation…”
Say what, for the second time? Lake Geneva has never ever insisted anything of the sort. The Lake Geneva Comprehensive Development plan, written and enacted years ago, dictates that the Hillmoor Tract be used for agricultural/recreational purposes. The entire tract was once a very well thought of and maintained Golf Course, in that line. It was a change to this comprehensive plan that was sought by the WRH monster. The third WRH real estate monster complaint is as bad as the first two. WRH wants damages for Hillmoor’s encroachment by the city, IN THE PAST, to put in roads, utilities, fences, and signs. Yes, WRH wants compensation for supposed and alleged damages to the land long before WRH owned it. The entire document is brought to a merciful close with this: “Finally, Lake Geneva’s actions violate White River’s right to the equal protection of the laws under the 14th amendment to the United States Constitution and under the Wisconsin Constitution.”
This document is a wonder to read, and although the Geneva Shore does not have a full-time attorney on staff, it does not take much study or investigation to understand the relative simplicity that Lake Geneva and most other American communities operate under when it comes to comprehensive plans and zoning ordinances. Builders and developers have the right to buy property and develop it, but they must gain approval for their project from the elected officials of the local governmental authorities in order to do so. WRH asked for a change to the comprehensive plan but wanted the city council to give them a blanket change and approval for what they wanted to build. What they wanted to build was never fully revealed, and the city council voted down the idea of changing the comprehensive plan in an open and very public manner.
Lawsuit Filed
Lawsuit
Another Geneva Lake dead body story. In the woods behind the old Hemingway’s restaurant and bar, between late afternoon and early evening on April 1st (Sunday), some hikers ran across a body lying in the woods. This geographic area is in the Town of Geneva, so the Town of Geneva Police Department will be handling the investigation. Lake Geneva Police Detectives are assisting in the investigation. Currently, no more information has been released, so things like gender and age remain unknown. A subsequent report will follow in the next issue of the GSR when the police release more data.
Live Report April 2, 2018
Road Construction on Highway 120 in the Piggly Wiggly area of Lake Geneva. All the roads and lanes are open, including on and off ramps. Plenty of barrels are set up on both roads and along the sides of the ramps. The construction will extend from Interchange North, the stoplight in front of Piggly Wiggly, all the way to Como Creek Bridge just before Mount Zion church (about a quarter of a mile). The stoplight will be replaced, and there will be a roundabout replacing the on and off ramps currently entering Interchange North directly. The overpass will not be replaced, although the bridge going over Como Creek will be. The project is slated to last all through the summer.
