Council approves revised lease allowing school to fence Northern Hills playground area

The Onalaska Common Council voted to approve a revised lease allowing the Onalaska School District to enclose playground areas that include about 0.84 acre of city-owned land adjacent to Northern Hills Elementary School.

City Administrator (unnamed) told the council the district requested a 25-year lease in order to install a fence that would incorporate both school and city property; the district also sought a $1 annual fee. The city attorney had drafted a one-year renewable form; the school proposed longer terms and asked for a 90-day termination right.

The council’s decision followed discussion about public access, maintenance, insurance and program use. “If the fence is installed, there will be areas that have gates that will not be locked, particularly after school hours, so the public will still have access to it,” the City Administrator said. The draft term in the final motion was changed to a 20-year lease that the city may terminate with 90 days’ notice; council also directed staff to revise maintenance and financial-offset language to make administration simpler.

The lease approved by motion from Alder Kathy Lowendorf and seconded by Alder Steven Knott requires the district to maintain the area and carry insurance; the agreement as discussed would provide a credit (offset) equal to an annual rental figure if the district continues maintenance. Park and recreation staff will retain vehicle access through a larger maintenance gate so they can stage and prep the ball field used by city programs.

Council members debated whether the city should seek a land swap or require the district to purchase the parcel. Several members said preserving public access and program use of the ball field was essential; others noted the parcel is developable and could add long-term tax base if sold. The council also discussed fence height limits tied to property ownership: on city-owned land the allowed fence height would be limited to four feet unless properties are merged or a site-plan process is used.

On roll call the motion passed with five yes votes and one abstention. The council instructed staff and the city attorney to return an updated lease that reflects the 20-year, terminable-with-90-days structure and clearer, easier-to-administer maintenance/offset language.

The lease authorizes the district to construct fence improvements that would not block public access to the premises and preserves continued park-and-rec programs on the field; final fence design, permitting and any site-plan review would be handled through standard development processes if required.