This will be the first installment and I will post more later......
From: Michele Sadauskas <
msadauskas@co.oneida.wi.us>
Date: September 1, 2015 at 2:08:07 PM CDT
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: FW: Shoreland Zoning and Local Control
Good afternoon everyone!
The below email (with 2 attachments) just came across my desk,
and I thought it might be of interest to many Oneida County lake
associations. If you have questions and/or comments please direct those
to: John Richter, AJR5@aol.com.
Have a great day!
To: Vilas County Lake Association
Officers
From: John Richter, President, Plum
Lake Association
We have begun a last minute effort to join
forces with like-minded lake associations to seek relief from the changes to
shoreland zoning the state recently inserted in the
budget. These changes remove county control of some of the
most critical zoning issues and put the State in control with “one size fits
all” lesser standards that constitute a very real threat to our lakes.
One of the most egregious changes is reduction
of shoreline frontage requirements to the state minimum. It will
adversely affect Plum and many other lakes with 150, 200, and greater frontage requirements (some
as great as 400’), reducing them to 100 front feet. The reason for quick
action on this issue is that, once the zoning departments get the final
“directive” from DNR, they will have to begin handling re-platting requests
from owners selling out and from developers. What I have heard is that
there will be a flood of requests once the directive is received and when these
requests are approved, they are good forever. If the rule is changed back
by new legislation later, they will be still be effective - a legal
nonconforming lot at 100 ft. Re-platting, as I understand it, cannot be
reversed. We have parcels in that situation on Plum, thus our concern.
Many other lakes are in the same boat.
The reason for greater minimum lake frontage
standards is founded in science for the protection of our lakes to maintain
water quality and property value. It was not controversial and not a
political issue. I think we all felt the county had done a very good job
setting the standards some 20 years ago.
All of the rest of this new law can be revisited
by new legislation and we have time to consider each issue. For the
shoreline frontage issue, it will be too late - the damage will be done and
irreversible, so immediate action on this issue is required.
I have found almost universal agreement in my
conversations with other lake association officers on this point; that letting
the State set one size fits all standards and take zoning power away from the
county makes no sense and is antithetical to the mantra of local control being
best. From a republican legislature, 520 was a big surprise.
We have been asked, by a former senate majority
leader (a republican), “How many lake associations are with you?"
They are pursuing remedial legislation at this time on our behalf.
My mission was to contact as many as I could to see if they were
generally in favor of returning zoning authority to the county. To date,
I have not found any that were not in favor. We are in the process of
preparing an outline of remedial legislation that will be available shortly.
We expect to have a broad base of Bipartisan
support for this bill.
We have signed a letter of engagement with
a law firm and engaged a public affairs consultant with broad experience in
this area and will need to fund the retainer very soon. We have begun our
effort to get commitments of donations from associations and individuals to
this effort. Our efforts will result in return of shoreland zoning
authority to each county, insuring local control and a return to our previous
regulations that were not controversial or political and protected our lakes
and our property values.
We are now tasked with collecting donations for
the legal and lobbying retainers. The escrow account has been set up and
donations will be made to through our 501c3 tax-exempt entity. I will get
a letter out with instructions for mailing shortly.
Overall, the goal is to return control of
shoreland zoning to the County, where it belongs and to stop implementation of
reduced lakefront minimum lot sizes until our new legislation is effective.
We are the last line of defense. All of the others lines have been
penetrated and we are now called on to step up and defend our lakes. I
know that none of us ever expected to be in this spot, but we are and we need
to act now. Good luck with your groups. Keep me advised of your
progress, as I will you.
I am hoping you will step up. I need to
know as soon as possible if I can add your association and members to our
collective voice in opposition to the budget amendment and to join our effort
to correct it.
Sincerely
Plum Lake Association
A. John Richter, President
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