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Colsac Lodge proposal raises height, parking and ferry-access concerns
Summary
A four-story Colsac Lodge hotel and banquet proposal drew questions from residents and planners after designers said the schematic roof would reach 62 feet—above Merrimac's 45-foot ordinance limit—and noted potential conflicts with ferry access, parking and boat traffic.
Colsac Lodge, a proposed four-story hotel, restaurant and banquet hall west of the ferry on Palisade Street, prompted scrutiny from the Plan Commission and residents over building height, parking and ferry access. Brad Crowley of 1848 Construction presented schematic plans to the commission on Jan. 13 and emphasized the project is early in design.
Crowley described a 52,700-square-foot building with a restaurant/bar that would seat up to 195 indoors and a first-floor banquet hall with seating for roughly 200, plus 43 hotel suites on the upper floors and two boat docks intended for guests and general lake traffic. Crowley told commissioners the design uses a steeply pitched roof to achieve a "lodge" aesthetic, which would place the roof peak at about 62 feet—exceeding the Village ordinance limit of 45 feet.
Commissioners and residents focused their questions on several recurring issues: how guest access would avoid conflicts with established ferry traffic, whether on-site parking and nearby public parking could accommodate expected demand, potential noise from live music and large events in the banquet hall, and environmental impacts related to increased boat traffic. Several residents asked about tax revenue and local job creation but also expressed concern about traffic and shoreline impacts.
Plan Commission Chairperson Collin Bourgeois postponed public input briefly so the presentation could proceed; the informational session did not include a formal recommendation to the Village Board. Bourgeois and other commission members noted the presentation remained schematic and that key details—parking plans, finalized site access, and any requested variances for height—remain to be resolved in future hearings.
The Village will continue public engagement as the project advances. The Plan Commission did not take a vote on the proposal at the Jan. 13 meeting; the Board of Trustees later reviewed the introductory presentation at its Jan. 14 meeting but likewise took no final action.
