Delavan council adopts comprehensive-plan amendment to allow housing at Lake Lawn golf course

The Delavan Common Council on a voice vote approved an amendment to the city’s comprehensive plan that reclassifies a portion of the Lake Lawn Resort golf course from parks/recreation/conservancy to single‑family and multifamily residential uses.

Jackie Mish, the city planning consultant with Van Duwel & Associates and associate city planner for the City of Delavan, opened the joint planning commission–council public hearing by saying, “This evening, we are meeting to consider a proposed amendment to the city's comprehensive plan. This is pertaining to the Lake Lawn Resort, specifically the golf course area, adjacent to Delavan Lake.” The amendment covers land the applicant identified on the resort’s west side and, if approved, would make future zoning actions consistent with the plan.

Why it matters: A comprehensive‑plan amendment does not itself approve any buildings or infrastructure; it changes the future‑land‑use designation that later zoning, general development plan (GDP) and precise implementation plan (PIP) reviews must follow. Jackie Mish told both bodies that state law requires local zoning actions to be consistent with an adopted comprehensive plan and noted that the planning commission’s approval is a required step for the amendment to move forward.

Developer and resort presentations: Dave Siqueres, chief operating officer of Lake Lawn Resort, told the joint meeting the area under consideration is about 25 acres in the resort’s southwest corner and said the resort has invested in recent years in property upgrades. Siqueres described planned changes to the golf course — splitting the existing 18‑hole layout into a regulation nine and a par‑3 nine — and said the development partner anticipates that shoreline ownership under the resort would remain in place. “We already have a maximum number of piers for overnight slips in our marina. It's 265,” Siqueres said, noting the resort would keep the first 75 feet of shoreline under its ownership.

Rick Zirk, representing Fairwind Development, said the single‑family component would mirror design and house types used in earlier Harbor Club phases and that much of the detailed engineering, soils work and archeological review needed for later approvals has already been performed in the prior phases. Zirk stated the team has completed soil testing and an archeological survey for the area and that utilities are planned using a private lift station to connect to an existing force main along North Shore Drive.

Public comments and staff responses: During the public hearing, nearby residents raised concerns about lake congestion, shoreline erosion, tree removal, light and noise impacts, archaeological resources and traffic on North Shore Drive. Speakers included William Koonsman and other residents who said the lake’s shoreline and green space should be preserved. In response, staff and the applicants emphasized several controls: the resort’s stated limit on overnight slips (265), a proposed 75‑foot shoreline corridor retained by the resort, bioretention and stormwater pretreatment systems used in earlier Harbor Club phases, and an existing city dark‑sky/light‑pollution ordinance that governs lighting.

Decision and next steps: The planning commission voted to recommend approval of the amendment; a subsequent council motion adopted the ordinance amending the comprehensive‑plan future‑land‑use map (map number 5). The council’s adoption authorizes the land‑use designation change only; no zoning, site plans, or construction are approved by that action. If the applicant pursues development, separate applications for rezoning, a general development plan and a precise implementation plan (PIP) — each subject to public review and staff analysis — will be required.

Quotes: “Before we make any zoning changes…we need to look at the future land use map in the city's comprehensive plan,” Jackie Mish said, explaining why the amendment was before both bodies.

“We're not looking to add any more overnight boat slips,” Dave Siqueres said, addressing lake‑use concerns.

What remains unresolved: Multiple speakers and several commissioners asked for more detail on archeological survey methods (including LiDAR/remote sensing), timing and sequencing of golf‑course work versus development, a clear traffic/turning‑movement analysis for new access off North Shore Drive, and the precise number and type of dwelling units proposed in phase 4. Those items must be addressed during the zoning/GDP/PIP reviews; the comprehensive‑plan amendment simply makes the land‑use change possible.

Ending: With the amendment now adopted, the applicants may file zoning and development applications; those subsequent applications will return to staff, the planning commission and the council for detailed review, technical conditions and possible mitigation measures.