Parks committee moves to pursue property-trade proposal with Green Bay Area School District

The Green Bay Parks Committee voted Feb. 26 to proceed as directed in a closed session on a proposed set of property trades with the Green Bay Area School District affecting several park-site school properties, including MacArthur, Elmore and Tank, and to forward that recommendation to the Common council for final approval at the March 4 meeting.

Committee members reviewed a one-page summary and a set of maps showing the proposed trades, described by staff as roughly an acre-for-acre swap in several locations across the city. Staff said the proposal included a nine-month planning option for two sites (Elmore and Tank) to allow the district time to seek a developer to convert those properties to residential use; if that effort does not produce a developer, the district may sell the properties to the highest bidder.

Sam Bartels, president of the MacArthur Heights Neighborhood Association, urged the committee to consider retaining MacArthur School property for neighborhood park uses, including trails, dog park space, a community or policing center and a concession shelter with restrooms to enable tournaments and neighborhood meetings. "We got a lot of interest in the MacArthur properties because I think we have great opportunity right now to make Beaver Dam the community park that we don't have on that side of town," Bartels said.

Because the school district responded with an alternative to the city's original proposal, the committee convened in closed session under Wis. Stat. § 19.85(1)(e) to deliberate or negotiate the sale of public property and to protect competitive or bargaining positions. After returning to open session, a committee member moved to "proceed as instructed in closed session by Dan and everyone else;" the motion carried and the committee's action was recorded as a recommendation to the Common Council. Staff reminded the public that committee action on these items is a recommendation only and that final approval is made by the Common Council at its March 4 meeting.

No final sale, developer selection, or sale price was announced during the meeting; the school district's alternative proposal was discussed only in closed session and was not detailed in the public record. The committee did not set specific conditions for development or name a preferred developer in open session.

The committee also opened and closed the public comment period on the item before moving into closed session.