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Committee moves to discontinue park development plan for Apple River parcel; sale to follow standard tax‑deed process
Summary
The committee voted unanimously to discontinue plans to hold a 3.6‑acre Apple River parcel for park development because of limited parking, a steep embankment and safety concerns on County Road H; the county will offer the tax‑deeded parcel for sale and may attach deed restrictions to preserve public values.
St. Croix County staff recommended on Nov. 20 that the county discontinue plans to develop a 3.6‑acre parcel along the Apple River (parcel 038105160000 on County Road H) as a park and move toward disposition through the customary tax‑deed sale process.
Staff said the parcel provides roughly 550 feet of river frontage but is narrow (only about 90 feet between the ordinary high‑water mark and the County Road H right-of-way), has steep embankments and limited on‑site parking, and lies adjacent to a highway curve that makes roadside parking hazardous. An earlier dwelling burned and the county cleaned up the site after taking it by tax deed in 2020. Staff recommended focusing limited parks resources on larger, safer launch sites and cited recent encroachment (tree cutting) by nearby property owners as a management challenge for the small parcel.
Supervisors discussed offering the parcel for sale under the standard tax‑deeded property process, with the administration committee reviewing bids and the potential to require deed restrictions at sale to prohibit new dwellings or to limit future use to access/parking if appropriate. The committee unanimously approved a resolution to discontinue holding the parcel for park development and to proceed with the tax‑deed sale process, with the administration committee to review offers and consider deed restriction options before sale.
If a neighboring owner purchases the parcel and merges it into an adjacent lot, that would be the typical outcome; staff noted deed restrictions could be placed at sale if the committee and administration committee request them.
