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Residents urge council to halt proposed road through wetlands; cite rare trout stream and lack of notice
Summary
Multiple residents asked the council to reconsider a proposed road connection from North Lake Road to Lake Bluff Road, saying the route would cross wetlands and harm a biodiverse parcel, and saying they received little or no advance notice; staff invited commenters to follow up with the public works director for details.
Several residents used the meeting’s public-comment period to urge the City Council to reconsider a proposed road that would run from North Lake Road back to Lake Bluff Road, saying mapped markings indicate the route would bisect wetlands and threaten a local ecosystem. Speakers said the parcel contains ponds, a trout-bearing stream they described as one of only two self‑populating brook-trout streams in the state, and abundant wildlife including snapping turtles, painted turtles, foxes and numerous songbirds.
Why it matters: Residents said the proposed alignment would traverse a narrow corridor bounded by wetlands and disrupt habitat and neighborhood character; they also said they had little to no direct communication from city project staff and asked for more outreach and technical study, including floodplain and FEMA considerations.
At the podium, a neighborhood resident said their lot had been flagged and that she and neighbors had no prior communication about the project. Another resident, identified in the transcript as David Weber, said he lives directly across the area and described historical land uses. Amy Simchak (listed in the transcript as residing at 355 Lake Bluff Drive) told the council she and other neighbors see heavy speeding on Lake Bluff Drive and asked whether traffic and speed changes would be addressed if a new connector is built. Simchak also asked whether FEMA flood-certificate issues and consultation with floodplain professionals (the Wisconsin Association for Floodplain, Stormwater and Coastal Management was named in the comment) have been completed.
City staff response and next steps: Mayor and staff asked people with questions to contact Jason Herzlak, the city’s director of public works, for more information, and invited neighbors to speak with staff after the meeting. The transcript records no council vote or formal action on the road alignment; the item was raised during public comment and staff offered follow-up contact information.
