Surprising Stuff

Wisconsin Kringle is coming to Lake Geneva!
Along the long stretch of road connecting Luis’s Pizza to Fontana (South Lake Shore Drive), there’s a new place opening up. The old business, long abandoned, was a sandwich shop, and prior to that, a small grocery/supply store intended to serve mostly boaters and fishermen during the summer. The new place is going to specialize in kringles. These special pastries are oval shaped and resemble coffee cakes, but they are denser, and many times have frosting, glaze, and are filled with all kinds of nuts or fruits. They are “to die for,” wherever they are to be found. These are going to be home baked, not the pre-made stuff that is passed off as kringles at most grocery stores. This place is going to be a great addition when it opens in April. The owner is also a terrific guy with a great personality. Val Secor is that man’s name.

The Hampton Inn is coming.
The conceptual plan for the 5 story Hampton Inn located at 1111 N. Edwards Blvd., filed by the applicants of 1111 N. Edwards Blvd LLC, to discuss the proposed construction of a 5 story, 92 units, Hampton Inn hotel at the South East corner of the Sheridan Springs Rd. and North Edwards intersection adjacent to the Highway 12 corridor. Tax Key No.ZA468000003, was presented although the county’s website lists the City of Lake Geneva as the owner, it was stated that the land is under a contract between the city and the 1111N. Edwards Blvd LLC. There remain some serious questions to be answered, as this project was referred without complaint to the city council for approval:

1.) If the sale goes through who gets the commission?
2.) Was the Edwards Blvd. Extension Assessment owed to TIF#4 ever paid on this property?
Note: The assessment was interest-free, and not due for ten years, so there was no incentive to pay it before then.
3.) What is the selling price that was negotiated behind closed doors, and by whom?
4.) What is the legal justification for not posting city property when it is to be sold?
5.) How, and by whom, was the value of the property determined?
6.) Why is the city selling the property?
7.) Is the future revenue considered in determining the city’s selling price?

This seems to be exactly like other “secret” real estate deals that have gone on around Geneva Lake over the past few years: the Hummel mess the first time the University of Chicago tried to sell the Yerkes Observatory; the old school in Williams Bay and that secret deal. Is this Hampton Inn one of those predetermined games where unknown people in secret cabals make money, while the public is left idly sitting by with a thumb stuck somewhere in its body?

 

Who is Carol Wyant, anyway?
She is on the beautification committee for the City of Lake Geneva. She showed up at the last city council meeting to discuss the merits of changing the current zoning system of rules for building in the Lake Geneva area. Currently, zoning is done by the analysis of what is to be done with the property.  Carol is proposing a change to Form Base Coding.  Distilling it down, this new “form base coding” would re-orient zoning to consider the appearance of whatever is to be built over what is to be done inside the structure. Over 400 communities have gone to Form Base Coding and the results have been pretty impressive when it comes to the improved appearance of those communities.  This new system bears close examination, as the ambiance and beauty of Geneva Lake are the most valuable assets of every community surrounding it.

 

Cartoon Of the Week

Cartoon by Terry O'Neill Lake Geneva

 

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