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Planning commission recommends denying Browns Beach parking‑lot plan amid legal and drainage concerns
Summary
After resident objections about process, erosion and property rights, and a village engineer presentation about layout and runoff, the North Hudson Planning Commission voted to recommend denial of a proposed parking lot at Browns Beach access. Attorney testimony raised statute‑based questions about converting a platted roadway to a parking lot.
The North Hudson Planning Commission on June 24 recommended denying a proposal to add a parking area on Park Avenue (Browns Beach access), following extensive public comment about procurement, property rights, drainage and erosion risks.
Residents, led by Wendy Fritz and Pete Gartman, told the commission they were surprised by how the project advanced, alleged limited transparency and said the village approved roughly $45,000 in funding without a competitive RFP process. Fritz asked for the initial studies and said clearing and grading undertaken so far had already created runoff toward neighbors’ yards. Pete Gartman and other residents proposed a lower‑cost alternative — striping and organizing existing roadside spaces — and asked whether the village legally owns the platted right‑of‑way that the plan would convert into a parking lot.
Attorney Nolan Franti, representing Gartman and Fritz, said the village appears to be relying on an early plat to assert the area is a roadway but flagged two Wisconsin statutes (WIS. STAT. § 236.29 and § 236.43) that could prevent straightforward conversion of a platted street to a parking lot without a formal plat amendment or vacation. He also identified potential environmental issues related to surface‑water discharge into the Saint Croix River that he said should have been addressed before advancing construction.
Kevin William, the village engineer with Cedar Corporation, responded that Park Avenue is an unimproved platted right‑of‑way (not vacated in village records), described a proposed layout that preserves a 24‑foot travel lane while locating seven parking stalls (one handicapped) offset to one side, and recommended a small rain garden in the northwest corner to manage runoff and limit flow onto adjacent private property.
Commissioners debated options including tabling, further study, striping the existing shoulder, and whether the project scope constituted overkill for a small beach. A motion to recommend denial was seconded and, after discussion and clarification of votes, the commission recommended denying the change of use to add the parking area (final recorded vote resulted in denial). Commissioners noted the public works department and parks committee might revisit alternate, lower‑impact solutions such as striping, signage or a modest turnaround that would preserve access while addressing neighbor concerns.
Next steps: The commission’s recommendation against the parking lot does not by itself alter the current shoulder; questions about the right‑of‑way, runoff remediation and procurement will inform any future proposals or public‑works remedies.
