Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks And Recreation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Manitowoc council approves purchase of Sylvan Drive parcel for River Heights Park expansion, 8-1
Summary
The Common Council approved buying a parcel at the end of Sylvan Drive to reserve a future trailhead or parking area for River Heights Park, despite residents’ concerns about flooding, safety and ongoing costs. The initial purchase will be funded from the city’s Parkland Dedication Fund.
The Manitowoc Common Council voted 8-1 to purchase a parcel at the end of Sylvan Drive to reserve a potential trailhead or parking area for River Heights Park, with opponents warning the site is prone to flooding and could require ongoing maintenance.
Residents who live adjacent to the lot urged the council not to buy the property, citing river rerouting and ice dams that altered the terrain and made the site unstable for development. Dan Schultz, a River Heights Drive resident, told the council, “I know that tonight you're voting on whether or not to purchase a plot of land at the end of Sylvan Drive for a future parking lot and trailhead for that River Heights Park,” and said the initial $60,000 purchase could grow to roughly $100,000 after parking, lighting and camera costs.
Council President Mike Cummings and other supporters said the purchase is a long-term preservation move. “The reason why I'm supporting the purchase … is if we don't purchase this property now with it being up for sale, that we might lose the ability to purchase that at any point in the future,” Cummings said, noting the city would retain the option to develop a trailhead later.
Why it matters: the parcel is part of a 23.99-acre city park and could provide a formal trailhead and parking if the city chooses to develop it in the future. City staff told the council the initial funds for the purchase will come 100% from the Parkland Dedication Fund, money collected from developers in lieu of creating parks inside new subdivisions, not from the general property tax levy.
Public comments illustrated the council’s central concerns. Kat Halligan, a resident whose backyard abuts the parcel, said she feared nighttime parking and lighting near homes and described the parcel as “landlocked” except for a narrow access at Sylvan Drive. She said the area’s steep slopes and an ice dam recorded this spring make it “not really a safe place for family, like, little kids to be.” Other neighbors described limited actual park use and questioned whether a parking lot was necessary.
Alderman Sykowitz (who voted no) and other council members stressed competing priorities. Sykowitz said the city has invested in existing parks and questioned the rush to buy land that is difficult to develop, arguing funds could be better spent improving established facilities. Alderman Debates and others noted that, because the money comes from the Parkland Dedication Fund, the purchase is an acceptable use of those dollars and prevents the parcel from going to private ownership.
Council action and next steps: the Committee of the Whole recommended approval; the council motion to accept the committee report passed 8-1, with Alderman Sykowitz recorded as the lone no vote. The council did not adopt a development plan as part of the purchase; no immediate construction, lighting, cameras or parking-lot design was approved. Any future improvements would require separate approvals and funding decisions.
