• CASE HISTORY
(Note: The following is a case history as seen from the side of the adjacent land owners and local citizens.)
• A developer from Waukesha, Anders Inc., proposed to develop a subdivision on a 42 acre field of prime agricultural land east of Monterey, just north of the Ashippun River. In order to do this Anders Inc. needs to have the zoning changed from Agricultural-Land Preservation Transitional (1 home per 35 acres) to R-2 Residential District (1 home per 30,000 sq. ft.). 
  Click here to view pictures.

• In spring 2005 knowledge of the development plans spread. Citizens learned about this proposal and began voicing their concerns. After hearing the questions and concerns from the packed house of local residents at the June 20, 2005 meeting, the Town Planning Commission unanimously voted to disapprove the rezoning!
 
Representative Peregrine stated “We place great value on public hearings. We have learned a lot about this site, which we could have learned no other way than through a public hearing. I personally don’t think that approving the rezoning under all these circumstances would be in the best interest of our Town. The fact that it is set-aside in our plan is immaterial and we now have more information than we had when we were developing our Land Use Plan. For those reasons I move that we recommend to the Town Board that the rezone be denied.”
 
Chairman Runyard said, “I feel the same way. I also feel that we didn’t look at the adjoining neighbors to the north and consider the amount of dairy area that we have left and really top agricultural area. When you put the Peebles and Koepkes together you are talking about a lot of cattle. These people are young people with sons and grandsons and they will probably be farming for a good number of years. I am not in favor of the rezone.” 
  Click here to read all the 6/20/05 minutes denying the zoning change.

• But then, Anders Inc. withdrew their request prior to any County action and re-started from the beginning with another rezoning request, and got a repeat public hearing scheduled before the Oconomowoc Town Planning Commission on January 19, 2006. The residents came out in full force against the rezoning, over 100 at the small Town Hall.  As a side note, over 200 concerned citizens have signed a petition to change the master plan map back to Agricultural 35 Acres, feeling that the preservation of Agricultural lands in this natural corridor with its working dairy farms should be a prime goal of our elected leadership. However, this petition has never seen the light of day and was never put on the agenda.
 
• Apparently there is a threat of a lawsuit, and one or two people pressuring the Town Planning Commission and Board. On April 3, 2006 the Town Planning Commission changed their position and voted to recommend the rezone to the Town Board.

• Despite this, on May 1, 2006 the Town of Oconomowoc Board stood strong, listened to all the facts and again unanimously voted against the rezone request.

• This time the issue has continued to the County level and on June 2, 2006 the Waukesha County Planning Commission also agreed to deny the rezone request.

• July 18, 2006 - Land Use Parks and Environment Committee's meeting was orchestrated by staff who are for approving the rezone. They voted to approve it in a vote 4:1

• July 25, 2006 the issue goes to the County Board for the final vote!!!  If you care about this issue, please attend the meeting.  9:00 AM at the Waukesha County Courthouse, Room 350. (arrive by 8:45am and sign in)


 
• Our Town of Oconomowoc representatives stood up to the pressure to go against the towns objectives of the current master land use plan! By ignoring this master plan’s direction to preserve the existing character of the Town by preserving and protecting the natural resource base (including prime agricultural lands, floodplains, primary environmental corridors, and wetlands), our officials would have greatly compromised the intent of the adopted plan and the will of the people. It is our hope the County respects the Town of Oconomowoc's decision.
  Click here to see excerpts of goals and objectives of the land use plan inconsistent with this case.

• We must stand up and fight against the development of this land! Why? 
o This field is categorized as Prime Farm Land (class 1) – We are in a region with the top farmland, not only in the nation, but in the World! It is a treasure that is being vastly diminished in our midsts.
o This is the last corridor of working farms, zoned agriculture in our township. Preserving this parcel leads to preserving a whole block of farms whose owners want to remain in farming. 
o To preserve farmland we need to keep farms commercially viable. This means maintaining contiguous blocks so they can expand and restructure with the times. 
o This land borders a cow yard of local working farm. 
o This development is too close to the core of the farm and new residents will most likely oppose significant changes or expansion. Conflicts nationwide are real,common, and hurt farmers. 
o The public’s interest is to preserve this land and other prime farmland as shown by the petition signed by over 200 neighbors, the great opposition shown at the hearings and through correspondence and the vote to elect John Koepke, who supports this issue.  He won by 70% of the vote.
o Area north of Hwy K is supposed to remain for prime agricultural uses 
o When people see zoning can be changed if a developer desires, then nearby land will also risk being taken out of the agricultural market. 
o There is no urban service available or planned for the developer’s proposed 14 residences. Proposing 14 septic systems which would all lie within a few hundred feet of the Ashippun River. 
o There is no reason in the Town or County's interest for removing this prime ag-land, publicly known by the town residents, other than for the interests of the developer.