Antigo residents say city-backed tennis-court project encroached on private yard; council asks for survey, plans site visit

Two residents of Rolling Hills told the Antigo City Council during public comment that recent work on a city-backed tennis-court upgrade and a proposed cabana has encroached on their private property and removed the vegetation that previously screened their yard.

"The project of the tennis courts has never been about the tennis courts. It's been about, basically, integrity," Tom Lee said, describing repeated meetings with the homeowners association and the city and asserting that construction crews dug onto the Lees' property and removed hedges that had served as a privacy buffer. His wife, Carrie Leeb, said residents were "mystified, dumbfounded, and hurt" and that they believed the city had started work "without a survey."

The residents said a contractor dug trenches and began forming for a retaining wall they contend sits within an inch or two of their fence line. Lee said he had previously provided a dated survey showing the fence offset and that the work removed shrubs that formerly blocked views into the yard. "You moved ahead without a survey," he said, adding that relevant procedural steps he expected to see had not been followed.

Neighbor Judith Haynel urged the council to conduct a site visit and asked whether council could schedule the matter for discussion rather than simply receiving and filing the complaint. After public comment, several council members said the property line should be respected and asked staff to return with the finalized official survey.

Staff told the council it expected to present a finalized survey to the council "for you to receive and file, as soon as we have it" and that staff would provide the survey when it is finalized. Council also agreed a council member could walk the site with city staff to review the situation before re-agendizing the matter for formal discussion. No litigation or formal enforcement action was announced at the meeting.

Council members asked staff to confirm the stake locations and property-line markings and to report back with accurate survey materials. The council did not take a vote on enforcement at the meeting; staff said they would return with the survey and any recommended agenda item once the document was complete.

The residents named Danny Bolton (a surveyor mentioned by a resident) and a foreman and questioned whether contractors and the city had consulted or relied on surveys that did not include actual on-site staking. The council instructed staff to ensure the official survey matches the recorded property lines and to bring the finalized survey and related materials to a future council meeting for formal review.