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Council approves Doors to Dreams preliminary plat; DNR wetland review pending
Summary
Stevens Point approved a preliminary plat for the Doors to Dreams development, while public commenters and some council members urged postponement until the Wisconsin DNR completes a requested public hearing and clarifies wetland mitigation needs (staff estimates roughly 0.4 acres to be mitigated).
The Stevens Point Common Council approved a preliminary plat for the Doors to Dreams residential development April 20, advancing a plan that includes a lodge and later housing units while leaving final wetland mitigation and DNR permitting unresolved.
Public commenters welcomed the housing and lodge but urged delay until the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) holds a public hearing on wetland impacts and the cost of mitigation credits. ‘‘Filling in wetlands right now is a bad idea,’’ resident Trevor Rourke said during public comment, urging the council and developers to minimize wetland disturbance.
Raymond Kahl, who asked the council to postpone action, said he had received a DNR notice only days earlier and asked for time to review the agency’s public‑hearing schedule and the mitigation calculations. Staff indicated the DNR had received requests for a hearing and expected to schedule it in the coming week; staff also said the project team had worked to minimize impacts and that the preliminary plat preserves most of the wetlands on the site.
Director Kivala told the council the DNR retains final jurisdiction: if DNR review concludes wetlands cannot be impacted, the development could not proceed as proposed. Kivala also noted staff had provided a conservative, top‑end mitigation cost estimate to the finance committee but that the exact dollar amount depends on final DNR ratios and the choice of mitigation credits.
Council members heard proponents explain the community benefits and the design changes that reduced impacts; several council members said a delay would cost time and money for fundraising and project timelines for the nonprofit developer. After discussion, the council approved the preliminary plat in a recorded vote with two members voting no; the DNR review remains pending and will inform final plat approval if required.
Next steps: DNR public‑hearing scheduling and technical review, staff refinement of mitigation cost estimates, and future council consideration of any required edits to the final plat.
