Oconomowoc aldermen drop pavilion, favor smaller restrooms on Village Green; ask staff for revised renderings

Oconomowoc aldermen on June 17 directed staff to remove the proposed pavilion from the Village Green reconstruction plan, keep the existing parking on the north side of the green where feasible and pursue a discreet, narrow restroom building sited alongside the Lakers building, rather than in the north side of the park.

The council’s direction came after staff walked aldermen through earlier designs and cost estimates and after aldermen said they wanted a revised plan that would be acceptable to a majority of the body before committing additional engineering funds. City Administrator Mark Fry and staff said they will ask MSA, the city’s designer, to produce updated renderings reflecting the changes and to return to council with those images for a follow-up discussion.

Why it matters: The Village Green project has been the council’s highest-profile parks discussion this year. Council members said the large pavilion and associated parking changes drove the earlier plan over budget and prompted public pushback; several downtown business owners have told staff the lack of public restrooms hurts commerce. Council members said they want a compromise that improves the green’s stormwater and public access while limiting new built…