Plan Commission - Special Meeting

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but You have to qualify. Lisa, are you ready? Ready.

Okay. This meeting will come to order. Uh we'll first call the role. Mr. Lazarus here. Mr. Grady here. Mr. Waters here. Miss Heim Street here. Dr. Mason here. Mr. Homeman here. And Miss Silva previously informed staff she'd be unavailable for tonight's meeting.

Thank you. Next on the agenda is correction and approval of minutes from our last meeting on February 24th. Are there any objections to the minutes as written and shared? Okay. See no objections, corrections, or edits. The minutes from uh January 24th, I declare them those minutes approved. Okay. Next on the agenda is question and public comment. Um Lisa, do you mind getting the um I I did not see any public comment um on the sign in. So moving on then we'll move to the next agenda item number five um which is the public hearing regarding the proposed amendment to the comprehensive plan future land use map located on the various properties at 800 South Main Street. That resolution is 261 a recommendation for future land use amendment. Um, everyone here um on the planning commission should have received and read through the amendment and what is being requested. The way I have organized this conversation, this hearing um is first we will hear from uh our applicant and then once their testimony is complete, we'll open the floor to hear the testimony of the public. Okay. Um, so with that said, can our applicants come to the microphone? Good evening. I'm going to have somebody on my team pass out a handout. I've been told that it's hard to see the screen on the left here from the left side of the room. Um, there is a map that we'd like

to share with everybody. Um, while I'm up here, I'd also like to ask you if you guys would remind me if I get too far away from the microphone. I know it's hard to hear and hear sometimes and I have a tendency to get away. I appreciate your time this evening. I want to thank the commission for considering our request. Um, my name is David Warerning and I'm with Lose Homes and Greyar. Greyar is the development arm of LSE Homes. Uh Greymar is the applicant. Our mission is to preserve Lake Mills golf tradition, bring the clubhouse back to life, and meet the community need for single family housing through a plan that ensures long-term viability for the entire property. That mission has changed. It's new because we have found a solid plan to keep golf in the city of Lake Mills. Our development project team consists of our land use consultants from Amenson Davis from our engineer and surveyor are with our public relations consultant is Lancer Public Affairs. And I'm most excited tonight to introduce you guys to Rusty from Rustic Golf Properties. I I want to start tonight that we started this different than most future land use map requests. We had somebody go doortodoor, talk to people that lived on the golf course, around the golf course. Mary Cla Lancer did that for a couple of weeks. We had a community meeting at those meetings and while she was out, she answered questions. she talked about what we wanted to do and we looked for community feedback um

at at that time and at the meeting we received many comment cards questions such as what's happening to the other nine holes where is the green space in the plan what efforts if any have been made to approach or market to other golf course owners comment this is great there's no multifamily housing Our intentions and our ask has always been for 150 to 160 single family home sites on this property. No apartments. It's not our plan. We don't intend to do that. Our plan does not include apartments. Preservation of open space is something we heard from the community. We in our meeting in January, we talked about approximately 80 acres that we could use for parks and open space. Um, we also want to support golf revitalization efforts in the community. If you could flip to the next screen and that's the map that was passed out to you. This plan, this map that I'm showing shows green, which will be open space, golf course, um, clubhouse, restaurant, and the yellow areas will be single family and only single family. This process, um, when Greg and I first walked the course, we saw golf. We wanted to include golf in this at at the least. Maybe golf simulators in the restaurant pitch and putt course. Um, a 9-hole course was a dream. We have a we have an operator today that'll talk about how a 9-hole course will work. Uh, I would say better than 50% of my time on this project, not my

teams, of my time was reaching out to golf professionals, people in the golf industry. And I talked to many, and I learned it's a tough business to run. But I think we have the right operator here this evening that will talk about why a 9-hole course works on this property. Um, Rustic Golf Properties, Rusty Grim, they own six courses in Wisconsin. Uh, they're listed on the right hand side of the screen. Two Oaks, Tuscumba Golf Course, White Lake Golf Course, Saddle Ridge Golf Course, Foxills Golf Resort, and Udica Udica Golf Resort. Spent a lot of time talking to Rusty. I'd like to bring him up here and let him speak to you about his plan. Thank you, David. Thank you. Can everybody hear me? Okay. Here. All right. So, again, David, thank you. Um, my name is Rusty Grim. I am the owner of Rustic Golf Properties. Uh, we own and operate six golf courses in central northeast Wisconsin. Um, we also own and operate one restaurant at a municipal course uh in northern Wisconsin. Um, what makes us a little bit different than other multicourse owners or management companies is we are truly owner operated. Um we we are on the ground. We are at our properties um daily. We we have a small team, but we we do a I think a very good job of being on site and and running our properties. Um and I think um together with the developer, we have come up with a plan to save golf in Lake Mills. And I think we've come up with the only plan to save golf. um the short time I've been involved in this um I I think what I've seen in talking to community members um people here I think that the majority of people would like to save golf. Um so that's very important to me. That's that's why I'm here. Um initially I did look at this as a possibility of an

18hole property if I I try to keep you know my eyes on what's out there. um in looking at things a little bit closer, obtaining financials, looking at the state of the irrigation system on the property, um and a number of other factors. In in my professional opinion, it does not work as an 18hole golf course. It it does not it will not work. Um with that, when I came to that conclusion, I started talking to uh Loose Homes a little bit more. Um, and we started working on this brainstorm and this plan of of saving golf and having a a a plan where I would purchase the clubhouse, the golf course, run a nine-hole golf course. They could still develop, as you could see on that last map, the the yellow section for homes. I think it's a good plan. Like I said before, I think it's a good plan. I think it's the only plan that will work. Why does nine holes work? Nine holes, it fits into modern life. We're all very busy. Families are busy. Nine holes is faster to play. It's more of a social social activity. It's not an all day commitment. Um it's it's more affordable. I mean, that's that's a big thing right now. Nine holes works because it's it's more affordable than playing 18 holes. Um, interesting. In the last few weeks, um, as I've dug into numbers and financials, I found a a reason that it I feel like Nine Holes fits more specifically in Lake Mills. And it's the number 65. It's I'm I'm a numbers person, but so looking at financials, looking at the current owner, Katie and Ry's uh t- sheet numbers, their data from the last few years, I don't think people realize this, but 60 65% of the rounds of golf played at Lake Mills right now are nine hole rounds. It is what the majority of golfers are playing. 65 rings a bell as well from the the research I've done. For 65 years, Lake Mills Golf Course, I think under

different names, but for 65 years, it operated as a 9-hole course. And I believe for 34 years, it operated at 18. And this would be around the 100th anniversary this year or next. Um, but again, looking at that 65 65% of the people playing the golf course right now are choosing to play nine holes. Um, for those that want to play 18, we can we have a way to do that on a nine-hole course. And you play play around twice. It it's it's common. A big part of this in in my opinion and I and I've again I've only been involved in this for a couple weeks, but I've I've learned a lot in a couple weeks. Um being in the golf business, this is a scary time of year. We're trying for us, we're trying to open six golf courses. We had two of them open two weeks ago and then where I live, we got 30 and a half inches of snow. Um, I came down here thinking we had, initially when I looked at this, I thought this had to happen now because the golf course is is going to open soon. I thought the snow bought us maybe a week. Now when I look here, I I don't think you don't have much snow here. Um, 70° coming on this Saturday. I think time is of the essence with with this project. Um, but more importantly, why this works now is I think we have a developer, you have a developer that's proposing this plan that is willing to work with golf, with golf in the equation. Um, more importantly than that, as important as that, the current owners have made it very clear that they will not open the golf course this year. I think a lot of the community has heard that and understands that and believes that. I think what a lot of people have missed is not only will the current owners not open the golf course is they were adamant that they will not maintain it. I was there on site 8 days ago. There's irrigation work that needs to be done to get the irrigation operational. They

have not ordered parts. They will not order parts. There is no fertilizers, no chemicals. There's nothing that is needed to get this golf course ready to open. What does that mean? If this if tonight's plan does not get approved, I think that golf course dies. I don't just think it dies. It it does die without water, without irrigation, without preventative maintenance, without ongoing maintenance. Um, our best estimation is it'll begin to die within 60 days. Within 90 to 120 days, it may be beyond repair as a golf course. Now, if we get rain every day, it might buy a little more time. If it's a hot, humid July, the course is in trouble. And and I think unfortunately, without approval for this, that golf course will will be let go. I don't think I don't I don't know how all this works, but I as far as I know, this is Katie and Ry's property. Um I don't think anyone can force them to maintain a golf course or run a golf course, open a golf course. Um, from the two times I've met with them, talked to them, I think they will sit back and watch this golf course die. I think our plan saves golf. It, yes, it may be unpopular, an unpopular opinion, unpopular plan at first because it is only nine holes in some people's mind. Um, but I guess the way I would look at it is would we rather have nine holes, a thriving clubhouse, a community gathering space, um, a place for the high school teams to play golf? I've I've reached out to both high schools, told them if we can pull this off, the teams are welcome this spring. I would plan to, you know, if this is approved, I would plan to be in there in the next couple of weeks to start doing things. I realize there's more steps of this process and this approval, but I would be willing to take

that risk and that chance to start maintaining the course so it doesn't die. And just to wrap up, I just urge I urge you guys, the planning commission, to really really think about what happens if this is denied tonight. And I I think again, I've tried to talk to as many people as possible. Um, I think a lot of people are really really pushing to save 18 holes of golf and they're just they're in that fight and they want to save 18 holes. And I understand how that sounds appealing, but I think the reality of this matter is if this plan does not get approved, there will be no golf in Lake Mills. Um, I think the current owners, you know, I've said it before, I think the current owners will just sit and wait this out. I think they'll let the golf course die. I think they'll, my personal opinion is they'll come back in 6 months, 9 months, and then they'll ask the planning commission, well, how how can you force us to have a golf course here when it's not even here? It hasn't been here for a year. It's dead. We can't sell it as a golf course. So then potentially a developer comes in and puts 350 homes on every square inch. And um our plan prevents that. So I again I I urge you to really think about this decision as it as it affects the future of G and Lake Mills. So thank you for your time. Good job.

Good evening. I'm Brian Randall. I'm an attorney with Amenson Davis in Milwaukee representing the developer. And that in a way was really hard for Rusty. He was very candid with you. He is the most optimistic and energetic person I know. In a way, I think he went too deep into what the seller's intentions are, what the current owners are doing. But I hope, and if you have questions, you can pick his brain. He knows golf and he knows what happens when a golf course goes. And from our standpoint, this is not a threat and it's not something that we're trying to pull over on you. It's a fact of life. You've heard from the sellers and they're not here. We're under contract to buy this land. We've listened. We heard the challenges. What would the open space be programmed as? Can you save golf? We are really excited that we found Rusty, that we have a letter of intent with him to proceed to selling a portion of the golf course that would remain golf in the clubhouse. And we have an extension of our contract to control all those decisions with the sellers and let them retire or whatever it is that they want to do. What he said is true, but I don't want to focus on that. I want to focus on one of his quotes of how do we pull this off? What's before you tonight? It's a land use map amendment. So Chrissy, if you could go to um the next slide in your packet, these screenshots are pulled out from page two from your planner. On the left, the current land use for the future designations. It it shows our properties that are uh at issue as a combination actually some single family residential as one of the parcels. one is designated as multifamily residential and then parks and open space. What we applied for 45 days ago is the graphic on the right with all the cross-hatched and I'll explain exactly why. Plan neighborhood is what's before you this evening. So

that's on page two. If we can go to the next slide, the page three of your memo. So I always like to start with what your own staff is suggesting and how are they guiding you through this process. I'll get to the end where they recommend denial and why I disagree and why I think you'll have a very good decision to make on why it should be yes. But starting with page two where staff is showing you what the city's plans are. Page three here are the evaluation factors, six of them. I'm going to focus on four of the six primarily with a couple of follow-up slides. So, I'm not going to read them right now, but I'll tie back to you. If you if you do need to go back to this slide, we can um or you can find them in the staff report page three. The next slide then the image on the left and the text is referencing number two the changed conditions of why it might be appropriate for an a land use map amendment. The staff report points out the fact that we all know the golf course is closed. It will no longer be accessible to the public. It's in fact almost ironic. It's designated as open space on the city's land use plan but it's not public open space. It's private open space. And so the fact that it's closing is a change condition. The planner suggesting that you focus on that as relevant. Then the next three talk about and they reference what's consistency in the plan goals and policies. Number one, page 39 on your comp plan says residential development in this city should occur in plan neighborhoods rather than standalone subdivisions. The next one, multifamily is not automatically permitted by your decision tonight. If you look at land use planning and the comprehensive plan, that's a big picture view of what uses of land could be. But the zoning is what truly controls how the use could be. So note the careful wording in your planner's memo that there's a lot of concern over the potential for multifamily that could occur on this

site with plan neighborhood. But every time it's qualified with potentially it could happen, it might go that direction. It would have to be subject to a specific proposal, a public hearing, and you finding that other uses would be appropriate. What's not before you tonight is our sister application for a plan development district which mirrors what we're talking about. So I kind of to be to be frank myself the multifamily residential is the boogeyman. It's in the staff report. It could happen but it's not because we are proposing single family residential and a golf course for you. Finally the comp plan recommends 60 to 70% of planned neighborhoods to be single family residences. In this case, we're going to come up a little short of that because the golf course, the retained area is actually half, if not a little more than half. So, we're going to have a majority open space under the comprehensive land use plan. And we'll have the rest of it being plan neighborhood, but zero business, zero industrial, zero multif family. The next page, Chrissy, if you can go. Okay. Plan neighborhood smart growth and principles. These also speak to the consistency with your own plans and goals. Here you'll notice I quoted a few things because this is the city's plan. This isn't stuff that we just think you should buy into. The predominant land use in terms of area will be single family residential for plan neighborhood combined with a bunch of options but park and open space. I bolded those things because what we're providing you is squarely in line with what the plan neighborhood calls for. Yes, we could present something else, but we're not. The middle one, the plan the this plan that's referring to the city's comprehensive plan, which if you aren't familiar, and I know most of the plan

commission is, it's about a half inch thick document. This is two-sided uh 150 pages. This plan, when you look at that quote, recommends accommodating more future residential development within the planned use land use category. Again, our primary focus here is single family residential. So, we followed the land use plan and we proposed plan neighborhood. We also have the restaurant, the the clubhouse, and we have the open space. So, to us, plan neighborhood made a lot of sense. But we're going to make our case and and let you uh evaluate that. Finally, chapter six, under your housing and neighborhood development standards, district development or excuse me, direct development towards existing communities. That's a statement. That's a directive what we should be doing under smart growth. Well, and and if you remember, we'll get to the site plan again. You can see how we have some infill lots down along Pinnacle Drive. We have our residential uses on certain areas but we still have the ring area of open space golf course and we still have the majority of the land still being used golf course. So where we are developing new single family homes we're creating an infill neighborhood and we're adding more neighborhood which is what's there today at least on the outside. Second quote from your comprehensive plan take advantage of compact building design. We're not trying to do 5 acre lots and have everything all spread out. We're trying to create a sense of community and that is called for in your comprehensive plan. Next slide speaks to the fifth criterion which is public interest. What are the community benefits? We would start with even before this slide which has numbers. We would start with what I just said. We're creating a new neighborhood. We're break we're creating community. We're adding children to the city. We're adding new people or if they're not new, maybe a new housing option for them and they can leave as an empty neester or a

big house or they can build up to a bigger house. That's what we're offering as a community and public benefit. But the numbers also don't lie. So the golf course is 2025 assessments, 1.5 million, and they've paid or on the installment plan $23,000 of taxes. my math and I'm a lawyer so I don't like to do a lot of math but I asked Loose what homes have you built in this neighborhood because I know they do quality I know people like their product and I know it's in Lake Mills so there are five properties in the Pinnacle Drive area that have assessments that average to be $512,000 and pay $37,876 in taxes in 2025 in the aggregate. So on average $7,500 in taxes. We're presenting to you 150 160. So I went with 155 homes. The tax assessment on 155 homes of the loose quality standard is almost $80 million and the taxes paid is almost 1.2 million. So when you're looking for what's in the public interest, what's in the community benefit, how will the schools be supported, notwithstanding what Rusty can do with the high school golf teams, but where can tax dollars come from? Your police, your fire, your infrastructure. It's a meaningful number to look at. Of course, my last point on this slide is the golf course, nine holes in the clubhouse is retained, so there still will be taxable value for that. It's not all about the numbers, but it's relevant. And we ask that you and certainly the common council I think they being responsible to the electors would focus on that. But for your purpose looking at public interest and community benefit, it's relevant. We still have many more steps. Two two versions of this slide. On the top you'll be making a recommendation on a resolution and it has to go to the common council. Uh you most recently did this

in well I don't know if it's most recently but I found a couple of your resolutions and ordinances in 2023 2025 um yeah July 22 of 2025 was one where you had a single family residential district land use map amendment to planned neighborhood and then it went to the full common council. The common council adopted its ordinance in September of 2025. So the first box is where we are in the process. Your recommendation would still have to go to the council. Next, next box in the process. While I did say we've applied our PDD, our PDD did not program the open space. I know a couple of you asked to David the last meeting, well, what are you doing to the open space? Will it be dedicated as a park? Will it be walking trails? At the time, 45 days ago, Rusty wasn't in our lives. So, we had that and it's not before you tonight, so it's okay that we can update that. But when we do the PDD, it will then match the site plan you saw with nine holes, clubhouse retained, and then the home sites. That PDD would have to go to the city council. And then the last box on the right, we still have our precise implementation plan that will come back before you. So, we look forward to coming back to many meetings to continue to show you the consistency and what we've promised and what we will continue to do. And those are those boxes on the top. Rusty's boxes are on the bottom. And that's the kind of stuff that has to happen at a golf course. I I'm a terrible golfer, but I think of the beautiful greens and the nice camaraderie and the good weather. He is going to have to have somebody mowing, raking, getting the sand traps ready, doing those little green cuts, irrigation he already talked about to ultimately get to the box on the right, which is the fun of golf. That's a fact. It's got to be maintained. And if we all just ignored what's going on in our our home lawns in the next couple of weeks, the same thing would happen on only at a golf course. It's a much grander scale because of the maintenance and the commitment it takes. So, how do we do this? How do we pull

this off? To quote Rusty, what's before you is what's what we applied for the planned neighborhood to take what do we got? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 properties currently designated parks and open space and designate them planned neighborhood. The zoning table on the right is where we'd be going next, but that's what it would require. Speaking of single family, that could be an option per your recommendation as well as you look at and sorry it's kind of crude the the graphic on the right. As it turns out, with Rusty having walked the course with the nine holes he would want to save and also slightly reconfigure, we actually do not need to change land use map for five of the parcels. Those are the ones that are not highlighted. They could say parks and open space. You could have a motion that does not change their land use map designation. And those are symbolically shown in green with the red crossouts cuz we're not going to put homes there. We're not going to put two families there. We're not going to put anything there other than the Gulf. The five parcels that we need single family to be accommodated for are the ones that still remain with some yellow on them. And so your discretion, your direction could be maybe agreeing with the staff report that plan neighborhood isn't the right way to go, but you would amend the comprehensive land use plan map to make it single family residential, which we could do on our next step with the zoning that we would bring forth. That also would be subject to the common council review. So, if you thought that maybe you're not sure that you would want to do that and is it the right thing to do, the common council will still get to review that. And I fully expect your city staff may have a comment on it. But the rest of this packet is the state statute, your ordinances, both the plan commission's

authority and chapter 27, the comprehensive plan authority. It would allow you because you're the controlling body and I think the city attorney has a memo in here. You're the controlling body on amendments to the comprehensive plan. So if you believe the appropriate amendment is to single family residential, that could be your direction. And in that regard, I took the liberty because I have an uphill battle. Your staff report gives 12 reasons why you should deny it. So I gave you a motion, a pair of them. One could be to adopt plan neighborhood for all of the parcels, the tax ID numbers, or the one on the bottom is an alternate based on that last slide, just to do the single family residential or plan neighborhood for just those, however you would see fit to do it. But this is the opportunity to do that. This is the opportunity to have investment to the tune of $80 million ultimately here in the city plus golf that's been around for a hundred years with an energetic, knowledgeable, reputable operator who has courses all over the state. Greg, you're the boss. Did I miss anything? David, that concludes our presentation. We know it's a public hearing and a lot of people want to be heard and they're entitled to be heard and I believe a majority of them this is the first they may be hearing about what we're very excited about. Uh but we will be ready to answer any questions that you have. We will listen to what their comments and questions are and we would ask that you recommend an amendment to the land use plan so that we can move forward and bring Rusty to start business. Thank you.

Thanks Brian. Um, so now that applicants are complete with their testimony, I'd like to open the floor. Ask a quick question. Can we do questions at the end? I have a question for staff real quick. Okay. Mr. Dailyaly, did I miss something? I just listened to a 30-minute presentation and I don't think this was included in our packet. Correct. So, I didn't have the chance to review this and study it and check to see if do my own research on this material. So, so it's kind of upsetting.

Okay. The application before you for a future land use map amendment based on it's based on the petition that was received. Um the the items that were attached are the ones that we had with the application. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Waters. Okay. Anything else? Um so now that applicants are complete with their testimony, I'd like to um open the floor to hear from the public um before we begin the process. Same three expectations from last time. one. Please do not encourage or discourage our speakers positively or negatively by applauding, making noise or using your voice. Um, having a space that encourages speech and diverse sets of views. Um, and not discouraging views by creating a hostile environment is very important to making government work. Number two, please let our comments be respectful. Make sure that everyone leaves this room today feeling proud of the character of the community. Number three, um I'm asking that we keep the testimony um to three minutes and that should be a fair and adequate amount of time um to provide testimony. And I'll be keeping track using that device right over there. Um we encourage the public not to reiterate past testimony um and points that they may have heard from previous speakers and instead voice agreement or disagreement um for previous testimony. Um, and this ask just because we have uh I don't know 29 speakers and we're going to open it up to anyone else who didn't get a chance to go ahead and put their name down. Um, and so I want to encourage dialogue but also acknowledge the virtue of efficiency. Um, so I'm going to ask folks to come up cuz I have a list three pages and so I call your name just come up to the um podium and then state your full name and your address if that's okay. And I have it all right here. So you don't have to write anything down. Sounds good. Okay. Um, our first speaker is Kirk. I'm Kirk Grundle, 11:30 forward court. Um, I'm a bit taken aback because this really is about the future land use

plan. And in my from my point of view, and I'm going to make this a little bit personal. Um, my grandfather came from Norway. He settled in Mount Horb. My father and grandfather donated land in Mount Torb for a water treatment plant that was a legacy for that community. Bottom line here is we have to think about the legacy. This is a 1927 piece of property. Very important. One of the things when Susie and I came here to live, what do you see? First thing you see is a monument, the ridge, a golf course community. We all expect it to be a golf course community. This is about the land use plan and very specifically, I mean, we we learned about this today. in January 27th and last fall. There's a lot that has occurred from our perspective and my perspective personally. Are we going to tear down the monument? Are we going to tear down the ridge? Why do we want to do that? It's like taking all the trees out of the southern court of the city here. We need to be thinking about what is the highest and best use of this property. this community. I can guarantee you the people that I've gotten to know, there's a lot of intelligence here. There's a lot of passion. We can make this work. It's not going to get destroyed. There's no way because we've got people that care. If we want this community to be vibrant, we want to have recreational

property, we want to have the comprehensive plan fulfilled, we just I mean, take a look. Got a whole bunch of people that want to do that. We'll do that. There's all kinds of issues with respect to property values and all of that. But to me, this is about crane. We've got a united community. We can do some great great things. We just have to put our mind to it. You've got great staff. Very, very professional staff. They've made a recommendation. The recommendation ought to be followed through on because at some point this just needs to start properly. We didn't do any of this properly. You've got a majority of homeowners that don't want this. But we didn't talk about it last fall. No one came. I I never was communicated with as a homeowner. And so I think there's a reset. I've said it in the letters I've sent. This is about Yeah, there's some challenges. There's going to be emotion. There's all kinds of things that can go on here. But we can overcome that if we have the right heart for the community because my deal is this. This is not about anything other than the legacy and what is in the best interest of Lake Mills and that's what we need to do and that's where our heart has to be and that's what you've got here. So that's all I've got.

Appreciate it and I think you nailed three minutes even though I failed to use that. No, you did great. All right. Um, thanks Ken.

I'm gonna do it this time worker. Ow man, it's tough. Don't worry, mine is less than 3 minutes. Okay, good evening. My name is Ken France and my wife Julie and I live at 331 Pinnacle Drive. 9 years ago, we built our retirement home next to the seventh hole of the Lake Mills Golf Course. One of the first steps we took was to become members of the golf club. For the past nine summers, I was always one of the first to pay my membership fee to Katie. And whether I was talking to Katie on the phone for a tea time or saying hello to Randy or one of the other groundskeepers as I was walking 18 holes two to four times a week, I was always friendly and supportive. When the clubhouse was open, Julie and I would go there for a fish fry or for cocktails until they closed it. To the owners, I'm very appreciative of you offering me an opportunity to enjoy thousands of holes of golf from a hole in one that I got in the seventh hole in one to the triple bogeies that I received at other holes. Golfing at your course has been a priceless part of my summers. We have grown to love this golf course and that is why we and all of our neighbors live living on the golf course. They live there because of that. Taking away this 18hole community gym is just not right. The current owners serve as temporary stewards of this 98-year-old golf course. They bought an 18hole golf

course and they should sell an 18-hole golf course to the next owners. The idea of allowing over 150 homes to be built on this priceless property is simply not right. We ask that the planning commission vote to not adopt the resolution to change the comprehensive plan future land use map. Please do the right thing and stop the demise of our 18-hole gem. Give us a chance to allow a new buyer to keep our golf cos going. Hopefully, future generations will be appreciative and grateful for the foresight exhibited by our current leaders in deciding to preserve the Lake Mills Golf Course. Since this may be my last speech on this subject after 3 months, I have some words of advice to share to the city of Lake Mills residents and government officials. Be patient and be supportive. Whether it takes days, weeks, months, or even years, the Lake Mills Golf Course will flourish again. Thank you. All right. Okay. Um, next is Julie. Hi, my name is Julie Nelson, 105 Pinnacle Drive. My husband and I were seasonal residents for over 15 years. When we were not on the lake, we were playing golf at the Lake Mills Golf Club. We moved here permanently in August and were excited to finally become members. Imagine our disappointment when we got the flyer stating it was going to be sold for development. Our disappointment was not only because we are new residents of a golf course community, but because we actually want to play golf here.

According to the sellers, they are selling to lose because the golf course industry is sell is struggling. There is no community support for the course and no credible buyers who want to buy and operate it. Golf Digest recently ranked Wisconsin number one in the nation for public access golf. It further states its economic impact stands to outpace the combined economic contributions of craft beer, wine, local spirits, and Packers home games. Their struggles are not because the golf industry is suffering. Regarding the community support, I understand they sent letters asking for support, but did they reach out to the residents of the ridge or the club members who didn't come back and the community members who chose memberships at other courses and ask why? If the community took their business elsewhere, there was a reason. They said the golf course has been for sale for 5 years for $3.6 6 million with no credible offers to buy and operate it. The listing doesn't market to golf course operators. It is targeted at developers. Comparable golf courses across Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan are listed at 1.9 million. And they all boast profitable golf operations, practice facilities, yearround restaurants, and event venues. The owners have told us themselves they are not profitable. The irrigation system needs to be replaced and they closed the restaurant years ago. There have been no previous offers because they are asking twice what the market will bear as a golf course. Since the beginning of this year, our association has spoken with multiple investors and vetted out three credible golf course operators who want to buy this golf course. three. These three

operators are already running successful courses in southern and in southern and central Wisconsin and view this course as an opportunity to expand our portfolios. Katie and Randy, I am genuinely sorry you never felt the support of this community, but we are here now in force. If the decision tonight does not allow for resoning, I hope you will open yourselves to the recommendation of the city's staff and the interests and offers from investors and golf course operators who will contact you. This this can be a successful golf course and it deserves to live on and prosper and celebrate its 100th year and beyond. Thank you.

Thank you, Julie. Next is Clark. Hi, I'm Clark Collins, U 900 Pinnacle Drive. And um well, I mean, I I certainly echo some of the comments that have already been made, but I would say um you know what what makes Lake Mills legendary, right? It's it's the assets that we have in our community, and this is one of them. It's the largest green space we have uh in the city. I understand it's privately owned, but it is publicly used as a golf course and uh to change that and to uh remove that from the community would be really devastating. You know, unfortunately, the real boogeyman right now is single family homes and the golf course, but is is changing uh the way the golf course is zoned and what it's used for. Because right now, what it's used for is community. What it's used for is two high schools. We have such a unique situation here in town that we have two high schools that are so close to the golf course and both have golf teams um that flourish and are are uh well populated with students and and players. And u even more so, you know, I've talked here in the past about um my in-laws who um uh have lived here in Lake Mills for years and years and have been golfers now. I've only lived in Lake Mills for about 10 years. Um but I golfed with them before I moved here and I became a member and have been a member of the golf course every year even though I'm really not a golfer. um because I think it's an important community asset and I think that you know as far as the support goes from the community. I I think all of these these

packed rooms that we've had every time uh for these different meetings shows the support that is there and and I still believe it can be a viable business and can have community support. And just as was said uh just a moment ago, I I believe that maybe reaching out to the community is one way of doing that. Okay, I don't need to get into maybe all those details of how it should be done, but I believe it can be done because I know there's support out there and it's important enough for the community to stay a golf course the way it is rather than to change things because, you know, the the current owners um weren't able to make it work and maybe they w the way they would have liked to as well. But I I also uh commend them for the things they did put on because I talked about the high schools already and the the the cross-country meets that they had um uh on that on the course too at night. Uh again, this just shows these are the different ways this course can be used, not just necessarily for golf, but it brings people together in many different ways. So, I would uh request that you uh deny this uh amendment. Thank you. Thank you, Clark. Patricia, next. My name is Patricia Van Djk. I live at 1051 Forest View Court. I am opposed to the resoning of the golf course. You've already heard from me. I've written you two letters. I've appeared uh in January to speak before you. Um, all I can tell you is I know that Katie isn't getting the price that she wants for the golf course, but when my husband and I sold our house to move to Lake Mills, we didn't get the offer that we wanted either. And we took what was available

to us and did it for the the best interests of uh ourselves and for our neighbors. Uh right now I'm just asking for you to do the right thing. Vote against this proposal. Think of all the trees that will live because they're not being cut down for the placement of homes. Think of the environment. Think of the schools that use the golf course. Think of the animals and the birds. We're personally very fond of our two Sand Hill cranes that call our backyard their home. Their names are George and Gracie if you care. But anyway, please do it for the community. Thank you. Thank you. Next is Dennis. My name is Dennis Dorne. I live at 1051 Forest View. Um, I have also written to you and spoken before, so I'm not going to reiterate those things. Excuse me. I just wanted to spend just a few moments to summarize in effect the different things that you've heard, the different reasons that would seem to me to be to vote against the change in the future land use map. One of those is the public outcry. you've you've seen these crowds uh um and gotten the letters. I under the impression that this is a far larger response than your usual. Another is infrastructure issues. I won't go into the detail you have of that. You've heard that many times. Traffic issues that have been raised. Uh even the new plan doesn't change that. Um the issues about on main street or because of the limited egress off the potential new

residential areas. Health issues were mentioned about what would happen when the uh uh potential spewing of chemicals uh from the land that gets overturned while they're building. Recreational opportunities uh of a whole variety of types. uh the social context that occurs, the healthy outdoor exercise, the ongoing activities for family members. People have mentioned this in a variety of different ways. The richness for our local school experiences, the teams that were mentioned, the the high school experiences that can occur. Um it is a reason that many people mentioned for moving to uh Lake Mills, not necessarily to live on the course, but because of the course. Um, and the it's part of what people mentioned about the idea that this is a legendary area. Overall, to me, it comes down to community identity and we're talking about what it is that's a benefit for our community. Um, the golf course is one of those features that people have said over and over again is part of what we are here about, what we enjoy being here for. And the flip side is what is it that is the benefit of doing the plan if we went with even the current plan which I wasn't prepared to even respond to until I heard it today. Um but one of the major factors that's always been mentioned is the increase in tax base. I pose to you that the future land map gives places for construction where the land where there can be an increase in the residential tax base just doesn't have to involve the golf course. Thank you.

Thank you. All right. Next is Jeff. Sorry.

I'm going do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it this time. Jeff Allen, 146 Pinnacle Drive. It's my fourth time talking to this distinguished body and I'd like to compliment you on the eye contact and you always seem to be listening. So, thank you for that. And thank you for creating an environment where people feel like they're being heard and we have felt that. Over 100 homeowners in the Ridge Golf Course community purchased their properties expecting to be on an 18hole golf course. The planning committee tonight can go a long way towards securing their property values and protecting our city's 100-year-old golf course. There will be buyers and there are buyers currently who will not let us lose this 18hole golf course and improve it and take it to the next 100 years. And as a golfer, a lifelong golfer, I'm not too excited about playing nine holes that are being crammed into the back 40. and uh that were only designed a week ago. Uh seems like a little bit of a hail mary to me. The city uh manager and city consultants have already recommended the denial of the future land use map amendment. Amending our future growth plan when there are currently other available building sites serves no one. The exciting part is that there are other even more beneficial sites that will emerge in the future.

Our wonderful legendary city has the luxury of options for growth. Dro destroying recreational green space near the heart of the sp city. It should not be one of those options. Please vote to deny the resol resolution. Okay, thank you. Next is John.

Hi, my name is John Larby. I live at 4:30 East Lake Street. I'm 8 years old. We are currently studying government in my third grade class at Lake Mills Elementary School. It seems logical that I speak before you tonight on a cause that I feel passionate about, saving the golf course. I've been golfing since I was 2 years old. I've been a member of the Lake Mills Golf Course for the last 3 years. I go golfing on the days my mom and papa pick me up after school. This year I'm hoping for a birdie and to play all 18 holes. But it's not just about the golf. It's the time I get to spend with my grandparents on the course talking, observing nature, and spending time outside. We watch for the deer near holes four and five. The turtles by the clubhouse in holes 13 and the wild turkey families and cranes that are all over the course. I looked it up and golf among young people like me has really taken off in the past few years. To be honest with you, I'd rather play golf than video games. I also looked up that a pro football player maxes out at age 30, a pro baseball player at 33, and a pro baseball player at 31. But golf you can play as an old person. My cousin's

My cousin's great grandma Sally still golfs and she's 96 years old. And speaking of my cousins, we have an extended family outing each summer at the Lake Mills Golf Course that we call the Mini Masters. My team won the trophy last year. In 6 years, I will be in high school. I want to be a part of the Lake Mills High School golf team. I think I've got another 80 or 90 years of golf ahead of me. I'd love to spend many of those years on the Lake Mills Golf Course. Please save the golf course. I'm very impressed, John.

You might allow clapping for one person, please. All right. Wow. Blown away. All right, Michael, you're next. Tough act to follow. Michael,

I got to follow the kid. All right. Michael Connell, 618 North Main Street. My wife and I know firsthand how hard it is to find a house in this town. We had to rent for 2 years on Owen Street till we could buy a house. And at no point would I be willing to have sacrificed the golf course to shorten that weight. In fact, I might not even have bought in this town at that point. But I would like to take the opportunity to thank the ownership for the time they've spent maintaining the golf course in this community asset. and I intentionally use that term. The current owners and all those preceding them, as mentioned, have been afforded the opportunity to operate the golf course because of the zoning of the land. Although privately held, the course is no less of a city asset than the library, Commons Park, or Rock Lake. Each asset has value and is used by different members of the community. As the city has its eyes on rapid expansion, the question becomes, how many of these assets is the planning commission willing to sacrifice to achieve that end? The argument that has been routinely voiced is that the course cannot survive financially as a golf course and that there has not been a quote serious offer to ensure its future. To that extent, as mentioned, the course has been listed at 3.6 million. It does not surprise me there haven't been offers at that price. That's the equivalent of me listing my car that's worth 10,000 blue book value for 25 grand and then complaining that I didn't get an offer for it. As a result, it discourages people that would make a marketbased offer from coming forward in the meantime. I also don't get to adjust the selling price of my car upward for the routine maintenance and expenditures that I made during the time that I own the car either. Let it also be known, as mentioned, the course was assessed at a valuation just last year of 1.5 million. One could view this situation as the

owners asking the planning commission to cut them a check for 2.1 million in the process. And I'd like to know how much of that they're given back to the people whose home values are going to decrease. Now, the question is the matter of the course sprinkler system and the fire that damaged it. questions need to be asked and answered as to why the course was not properly insured. If it was, then what happened to the insurance money? If it wasn't, I have to take back my thanks for their maintenance up to this point as well. Either way, failure to protect this asset should impact the value that they get for selling it. They have the right to sell their property. They don't have the right to change the zoning on it. They bought a golf course and as said before, they can sell it as a golf course. by their own admission online, they've received offers that would keep it as a golf course. They just haven't received the offer that they want and they can't. It's not their fault that they It's not the city's fault that they can't get double their assessed value. It therefore falls to you not to determine whether the course can continue and remain a course. The owners have already admitted that it can. It falls to you to determine whether the course should continue, whether the lasting legacy of this commission is the preservation or destruction of this 100-year-old piece of our town's history. Thank you. Thank you. Okay, next is Tim. Tim Spreer, 106 Pinnacle Drive, Lake Mills. Uh, thank you. I'll start right away. I am against any reasonzoning for all the reasons put out. Uh, I do also want to say that Randy Grim has a great up a great uh, reputation for what he's done. I've golfed half the courses that he has taken over. U, I don't know what he was doing before. uh but I think the

first one is 20 2019 and he and his colleagues have decided that they can make uh six more work and uh I've had friends that have golfed uh White Lake and I've Golf Flex uh Tuscumba and uh so much of it is and I think you could speak to its management, its personality and its consistency. I don't think the current golf course at Lake Mills has had those things over the last few years. So, all things I said about values, uh, legacy, uh, again, I don't I know there's some beautiful 9-hole golf courses, one being in just redone in Madison, but I still think the people that and myself when we bought the uh property on the golf course, it was an expectation to be a golf course, not another development. So, I would ask uh that you deny the change in zoning and give people like Randy Grim and others a chance to really assess what can be done with this golf course to keep it a golf course to keep the city of Lake Mills the gym that it is. And the value of something that cannot be replaced is immeasurable. So, please um deny the zoning uh change. Thank you.

Okay. Thank you, Tim. Next is Kathleen. Good evening, Mr. Chairman, commission members, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Kathleen Eisenman and I live at 876 Prankle Drive and have for 21 years. Generally speaking, the proposed amendments to the zoning map and comprehensive plan violate the vision and the values of the comprehensive plan. More specifically, the amendments pose avoidable public health and safety risks. I'm going to confine my comments tonight on those specific health and safety issues due to time constraints despite my broader objections to the proposed amendments. In general, the proposed amendments pose public health and safety risks for two reasons. First, the proposed road that will intersect with Country View Lane poses risk because of the high volume of traffic that will access that lane and then Pinnacle Drive at a blind intersection of the lane and drive. The blind intersection is already dangerous because it gets a high volume of pedestrian and traffic auto traffic at speed. Adding more than 100 homes and the additional traffic exponentially increases that risk to unacceptable levels. My second concern is the proposed phase 3 development. The development will be built on land that is subject to frequent flooding and is located in very close proximity to high voltage power lines. The potential flooding alone violates the comprehensive plan let alone the proximity to high voltage power lines. While the research on health effects of electromagnetic frequencies is inconsistent and its correlation with

cancer risk is weak, those potential risks are highest for children in housing closest to high voltage power lines. Best practice dictates placing housing at least 100 yards away from high voltage lines in order to minimize the potential for any adverse health consequences. The proposed phase 3 development doesn't appear to meet those minimum requirements. Therefore, I urge you to vote against the proposed amendments because they both violate the vision and the values of the comprehensive plan and they pose avoidable public health and safety risks. Thank you.

Okay, thank you. Next is Jim. Do you have last name? Jim. Brat. Brad. Jim, but I don't think I signed in. Jim, uh, third is it uh, on a good time to break up. Can you say your full name and can you say your address? Yeah. My name is Jim Goggger. I have no uh, I'm from Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. And I became uh, familiar with this a few years ago. I'm in the golf business. I'm a golf pro by trade. Where's Johnny?

Johnny, where is John? Did he go home and do homework?

That That kid is awesome. That kid is awesome. And And that's one of the reasons I'm standing up here because I have no economic interest in what's going on. Not a lawyer. I don't know all the rules and regulations in regards to uh zoning, any of that stuff. But I've been to many of these hearings. I've been in the golf business. I'm 65 years old. I got in the golf business when I was 15 years old. I've owned and operated four four courses. Uh no longer an owner. I was a partner. Let me clarify. I didn't own them myself, but I was a partner. Rusty, congrats to what you're doing. Um my reason I'm here is in all transparency, I've met David. Uh we had a discussion about Jim, do you think golf is is feasible here? um not getting into the economics of it. If I won't even mention any numbers in regards to pricing of it, but if the irrigation needs four, five, 6, $700,000 worth of repairs, a fairway mower these days, based on regulations is $100,000. A greens mower are $40 to $50,000. a a flag stick, a cup. I'm not trying to do anything other than when David presented this to me. My my passion for golf is how does golf get saved in Lake Mills? I was involved when Jefferson closed down. My in-laws are from Jefferson and they said we don't have a golf course anymore. And so then I found a little bit of the history with the Bruce company basically taking the keys to the bank and walking away. So Jefferson had no golf for a year and a half or two years and by miracle

they were somebody rallied started cutting the weeds and they brought that golf course back. So So the point is some golf is better than no golf. Uh Steve Stricker's course in Edertton. Steve grew up on a 9-hole golf course. I grew up playing Glenway Golf Course in Madison, a par 32. Some golf is better than none. Whatever the owners do, if they walk away, if they just give up, I guess that's that's their option. Uh, but whatever the price may be, whatever the economics of it, and the economics of it is something I've heard all the passion and and it truly means a ton to me. I love the passion. The people that own houses on the I'm almost done. But the economics of it is if they're doing I don't even know cuz I don't I know the owners. I met them three well when they bought it. I tried to sell them golf cars. I'm in the golf car business. I sell Yamaha golf cars in all transparency, but the point is if a golf course isn't doing 18, 20, 22, 24,000 starts, and to Rusty's note, 65% of the rounds are ninehole rounds right now. But when you start counting starts and do the economics of it, it's tough to make the numbers work. It's tough to make the numbers work. again please. I am about a golf component.

Sir, if you can wrap it up. Okay. Thank you very much. Can you put your name and your address on the uh There should be a form. Is there a form up there? Yes. Please put your name on the phone. I'll bring it up. All right. Um last call. I think it's a Jim or a Tim. And it's B R A DT. I think he left.

He left. Okay. Thank you. Next up is Tom. Tom Bach. Uh, good evening. My name is Tom Bach. My wife Karen and I live at 341 Pinnacle Drive. Let me begin by thanking the plan commission for the opportunity to speak tonight. My wife and I are opposed to the development of the golf course into housing. The news that the Lake Mills Golf Course is being considered for development isn't just a golfer's problem. It is a community crisis. While LSE's homes sees empty acreage and dollar signs, they're overlooking the re irreplaceable value this green space provides to our town. The golf course has been a fixture of our landscape since 1927. It is a place where generations connect, where a teenager can learn patience from a grandfather, and where neighbors meet for a game of golf. Replacing these fairways with a housing complex won't just increase traffic, it will erase a piece of our local identity. In an era of urban sprawl, this course acts as a vital green lung for our area. At times, one can spot white-tailed deer, wild turkey, sandill cranes, owls, and other wildlife on the course. Development would permanently displace these species. Access to wide open green space is scientifically proven to lower stress. Even for those who never pick up a club, the views and the breathtaking and the breathing room it provides are essential for our collective mental health. Once this land is paved over, it is gone forever. We cannot undevelop a neighborhood back into a golf course. If the proposed development goes through, property values for homeowners

on the course will decrease. Certainly, the town will gain tax revenue and the lose company will profit from the development of the golf course and the current owners will profit from the sale of the golf course. But those increases will come at the expense of those living on the golf course. Based on information from Google AI, a $500,000 house that ceases to be on a golf course will stand to lose between 37,000 and $83,500 in equity given approximately 100 houses 100 houses of $500,000 value on the current golf course. This would be an over overall loss of 3.7 to 8.35 million in home values. There's a choice to be made. We can choose to be the generation that saw our history sold or the one that fought to preserve the character of our town. I would like to ask members of the commission, do not vote to approve resolution 26.1. Thank you.

Thank you. Next is Gary. Gary, if you can do me a favor and just Thank you.

Gary Mullikin, 1141 Fairway Court. My wife and I have lived in Lake Mills since buying a house in the Brookstone neighborhood in 1998. We responded to an ad I saw in 2004 for a spec home at 1141 Fairway Court, heralding the fact that it was on the golf course. We purchased this home from Loose and moved in when it was finished in early 2005. We raised a family here and made Lake Mills our home. There are three things that define legendary Lake Mills to us. the Commons in the Norman Rockwell setting of downtown, Sandy Beach on the beautiful Rock Lake, and the soon-to-be 100-year-old 18-week hole golf course in the city. Our children worked during their school years. One worked at the golf course and the other at the sandbar. You know what happened to the sandbar? I am asking that you folks don't let the 18-hole golf course suffer the same fate. We have been members and golfed here since 2005. We knew the Nelson's Brit and Lester and Randy and Katie, all owners of the 18hole course we love and supported. While I have the floor, I will mention there may be some golf carts for sale if this goes the wrong way. You see, some of us homeowners bought our own golf carts. This is why many of the homes you see have been built with golf cart garages. We own an electric cart, 48vt system, and spent over $1,000 for new batteries a year ago. It has headlights, tail lights, brake lights, directionals, rearview mirror, horn, and seat belts.

But alas, it is not street legal in the Lake Mills at this time. ATVs, new TVs are, however, please don't vote to make our golf carts lawn and art. We ask the commission to not approve resolution 26-1. Thank you,

Gary. Next is Steve. Thank you for letting so many people speak again this evening. I appreciate it very much. My name is Steve Quant and I live at 319 South Fury Drive. Just like the person who wrote the restriction on the golf course property deed, I too believe that the golf course is a valuable asset to Lake Mills. That deed restriction was imposed because a previous owner wanted to be sure that Lake Mills always had a golf course. And I'm happy that restrictions in place. As a commission, you have an obligation to plan what's right for our community. You're expected to protect our community, and you're under no obligation to facilitate a comfortable sale for the benefit of the current golf course owners or their developers. Your obligation is to do what's right for Lake Mills and its citizens. But I think you need a little time right now cuz the playing field has changed. If you choose to begin resoning the resoning process tonight, the only people that are going to benefit are those that have come before you requesting and supporting this change. Their benefit will be a short-term financial gain. Lake Mill citizens will suffer a long-term loss. I encourage you to evaluate tableabling this amendment to another time and place and to move fast. I don't think you have a lot of time and I don't think anybody

wants to give you a lot of time. Please tonight leave the future land use map alone and instead help the current golf course owners protect the valuable asset that Lake Mills has. Thank you. Thank you. Next is Vincent. Vincent Vincent Stutter. Thank you. Yes, sir.

My name is Vincent Stutter. My wife Joanne and I live at 230 Pinnacle Drive, which is adjacent to the golf course. Thank you again for allowing me to speak to you this evening concerning the proposal to convert Lake Mills Golf Course property into a housing development, but I'll be brief with my comments. Um, also thank you for saving on serving on this planning commission trying to do what is best for the overall welfare of the legendary Lake Mills community and its residents. Um, I am not going to be speaking like these Polish speakers were here before and from the applicants representatives. I am not going to tell you how to do your responsibilities like they did. I just want you to know that I've shared with you previously uh and to the city council members various reasons for our opposition to converting the golf course to housing development in addition to other reasons shared by people speaking tonight. Um I uh in opposition to eliminating any part of the golf course, I would like to share one more thing. We moved to Lake Mills in the fall of 2021 because we were impressed by the recreational activities offered by the community which includes an 18hole golf course and very nice public parks. It seems to me that a considerable amount of time and thought has gone into the land use planning for recreational opportunities for families in Lake Mills. It would be a shame to alter these plans hastily without taking into consideration community input and take away forever a major asset for providing an 18hole golf course for recreational activity for the

community. I appreciate that Katie and Randy have done the best they could to continue the operation of the golf course. However, I don't believe their unsuccessful efforts should result in closing any part of the golf course. They took a financial business risk when they purchased it. My wife and I oppose the plan commission resolution 26-1 and ask you not to adopt the resolution and thus deny the petition. Again, thank you for your thoughtful consideration of this matter. Okay. Thank you. Next is Brett. stretch. Uh Brett Daniels, 650 Pinnacle Drive, Lake Mills Plan Commission, thank you for your time and your energy spent on this important topic. I urge you not to approve the resolution changing the future future land use map. Uh, this commission was very clear when we met 7 weeks ago. You value this golf course as much as I do. A historic golf course is a destination and should be something very special and could be something very special under new ownership. I expected that we might be throwing a couple curve balls today, but uh, we definitely have. What we're doing here tonight is focusing on the future land map amendment and based that's based off the information we were originally provided, not this last curveball we were throwing tonight. I will point out to the commission that we were wise enough when we met in January to point out that land may open up on the south edge of town and it did. 25 acres came for up for sale recently between Toppel Street and Mud Lake Road.

Um, now the Lake Mills School District is looking to sell 33 acres of land just south of Glacial Drumland Trail uh on the south side of Lake Mills. This represents 58 acres of land that had been in soybeans that could now possibly be single family homes for loose homes or any other developer. Let's not give up on this historic golf course. I urge your plan, this planning commission to not approve the future land use map amendment. Thank you.

Thank you, Brett. Back to Shel. Hi, I'm Shelley Quant. I'm at 594 Country View Lane uh in the ridge. I was one of the last homes to be built in the ridge and loose um built my custom home and I loved every minute of the process. Working with them has been nothing but excellent from the moment I started to now when I'm going through some warranty issues. So, thank you for all of that. Um my recommendation too, just like my neighbors, is to keep the golf course a golf course. And I encourage Loose to take advantage of these other properties that are opening up on the south side of town and build homes there because this golf course really is an asset to our community. Um, I know for a fact that there's been booster clubs with the high school. There's been other fundraising events that were turned down at our golf course. And Rusty, I I feel like you probably didn't even have an opportunity to look into all of the lost opportunities that were part of an 18hole golf course. I think it can be viable. There are so many of our community members who are members out at Lake Berkeley Country Club or whose kids are taking golf lessons out at the Oaks because those opportunities weren't available in Lake Mills. So, yes, we have a high school golf team, and yeah, there's great kids like little John who came up here and golfs with his grandparents, and all that's fantastic, but there was one thing in the meet and hunt proposition that said, "Is a change of land use warranted?" Now, when there are other parts of the city where this development is better suited, alternative sites for single family re

residential expansion, such as properties south along 89 or adjacent to Tyrannina Park, just like Brett said, may present more suitable opportunities currently and that was in the recommendation from Drake and Meet and Hunt. So, listen to that as well. Um, I feel that a well-managed golf course and restaurant could be very successful in Lake Mills. It was in the past and if sold to the right people, it can be in the future. So, please turn this down tonight and consider helping the Koalas find a suitable buyer. Thank you.

Thanks, Shel. Next is Jenny. Hi and good evening and thank you for your time. I'm Jenny Madau. I live at W6329 County Road B. Um I spoke at the last planning commission meeting and shared why I would like to keep an 18hole golf course in Lake Mills and I also wrote an email so you can refer to that. I'm not going to repeat all of those things. Um I do notice tonight that most people are speaking in opposition to resoning and I'm curious where all the people are who support resoning. I don't see those people other than the owners and the developers. So that is interesting to me. I kind of jotted that down as as we were listening. Um the question in front of you, I think you understand is not whether the golf course can be profitable or in the past or can be in the future. Really the question is whether or not you want to reszone and allow it for redevelopment. I agree that there needs to be additional housing in our community and more affordable housing. I don't feel like adding homes in the golf course location at $500,000 a house is affordable for people that we want to come to our community, right? Um, for my family, the golf course is more than just open space. I shared some information with you previously about what it has meant to us. You can refer to that email or go back and watch the YouTube from the previous uh video. The community has always offered something special to us. small town feel with access to amenities that make it a great place to live. And the golf course is one of those amenities that we enjoy using. We play three to four times a week. It's part of our routine. It's part of um our lifestyle and part of why we choose to stay in the Lake Mills community. Uh the the planning commission doesn't need to decide whether the golf course can be

profitable. If the land remains a golf course, there's still an opportunity for a new ownership, new ideas, a different future, profitability that can be made. If it's reszoned, the opportunity to do that is gone forever. One other thing that I was thinking as I was sitting there listening to everyone is if we have just a 9-hole golf course and we have the golf teams, how can the golf course be open for the public if they're there practicing or they have a meet? You can't do both at the same time. So that would be revenue lost for the for the course if that was the case. Um so I would like to have you vote no to reszoning and preserve an 18hole Lake Mills golf course for future generations. Thanks Johnny. Small but significant. This question isn't about zoning tonight. It's about the change of a land use map. Just wanted to make sure we're clear. Right.

It's not a zoning question tonight. It's a question of a change of a land use map. Um, next is Robert Mertz.

Hi. Uh, Robert Mertz, 205 Pinnacle Drive. I've lived there for about 10 years or so. Uh, I'm going to ask you not to adopt resolution 26-1. is I would like the land to stay as a golf course. Secondly, I'm concerned that any change in zoning would exacerbate traffic problems on the south end of town. As it is right now, uh when I walk in the mornings across Pinnacle and Highway 89 between 7 and 9:00 a.m., it's pretty tough. and I have an older canine I walk with and uh some have come pretty close. So, uh I would not appreciate the added traffic burden at this intersection or other intersections in town. Um but other than that, uh that's all I have to say.

Thanks, Robert. Um Greg, thanks Greg. I am Greg Wheat live at 226 Prairie Avenue here in Lake Mills. I'm here to urge the council to vote no in the land use map change. Uh there are only two entities in town that would stand to make millions on that change. the rest of the 6,700 and some of us get the shaft. We would get increased population, increased pollution, impact to groundwater protection areas, lost revenue spent locally, loss of natural landscape. Uh they did throw us a little curveball tonight saying they would possibly keep nine holes. Even if they did that, we still lose 25% of our green space planned on the current map. I don't think that would be acceptable to pretty much anyone. Uh, also they talked about 65% of the nine-hole rounds being played versus 18. I would say if you change that to weekends only, that percentage probably goes the opposite way. Uh, people like myself who work during the day obviously can't usually play 18 holes at night. you only get to play nine in a league at night. So, there's that. Uh, also on their map, if they do do the nine holes, they still have the single family residential areas on the east side, which are actually in our groundwater protection zones. Not sure how housing really affects that, but I'm betting it's not very good for groundwater. Um, I guess that's all I have because I'm

basing it now off of their newer proposal. Uh, thank you for your time. Take consider my thoughts and again I urge you not to change the use map. Thank you, Greg. Next is Morgan.

Good evening. Thank you. My name is Morgan. I live up on Pinnacle Drive. Um, this is desperation. That's why it's being presented at the last minute. Um, so little disappointing but expected. Um, I lived out on the other side of town, Sherwood Hills Road, for a few years. They don't have sidewalks over there, so we moved into town. Uh, my second born has Down syndrome, so sidewalks were not only um necessary, but a safety issue. Um, so we moved into town. Um she has uh issues now with um low oxygen and oxygen issues. Um so she's had open heart surgery uh extremely vulnerable to respiratory illness and pneumonia. Uh so clean air is not an abstract concern for us. It's a daily necessity. Um when I speak about this development, I'm not speaking hypothetically. I want to be very clear. This is not standard construction dust golf course. Golf courses are treated over decades with fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, and other persistent chemicals. Many of them, these compounds bind to the soil and remain there long term. When that soil is disturbed over what's proposed to be a multi-phase development spanning 3, 5 years, 10 years, those particullet uh become airborne and do not simply disappear. They become airborne and we inhale them. Um the risks are primarily for children and elderly. Um, it's not a single event. It's chronic exposure. Years of repeated low-level inhalation of contaminated dust that carries well doumented risk of asthma, chronic lung irritation, neurological effects, and potentially cancer. Uh, the most vulnerable populations like I mentioned. Um, without rigorous controls, this becomes a long-term environmental health issue, not a temporary inconvenience, a sustained measurable risk to the public. Uh because of that, I'll be formally requesting that this commission require extensive mitigation, monitoring, and public re reporting if this proposal advances. Uh my recommendation is that

you don't consider the proposal. Um and then from a professional standpoint, the golf course is a business. That's what they bought. They own a business. They have a business to sell. Uh I also bought a business in Jefferson County. When I go to sell my business, I expect to sell it as the business that I bought. Um I'm not looking for any favors. So um it's not the role of the commission to change the rules of land use to ensure that a private party can exit an investment at a premium. If there is a genuine belief that the property cannot be operated viably as a golf course, then that claim should be substantiated that I would urge the commission to require a full financial audit, specifically a 3 to 5 year weighted EBIDA analysis that would provide a clear and objective picture of whether this can truly whether this is truly a failing asset or simply an underperforming one being repositioned for maximum return. I have a list of a bunch of the health things as well um that I'll be emailing you guys at I would ask you guys to be um cognizant of if you are going to consider this. Um so do not approve the resolutions and also I'd like to just stop wasting people's times in regards to this topic. Thank you.

Thank you Jenna. Hi, my name is Jenna Spielman and I live at 251 Pinnacle Drive. 12 and a half years ago, my husband and I moved from Madison to Lake Mills. He had a job opportunity in Milwaukee and I was still working in Madison, so we needed to live somewhere in between. After growing up in Kenosha and living most of my adult life in Madison, I didn't know if I could live in a small community like Lake Mills. After we moved and I was driving the U-Haul back to Madison, the Rolling Stones song, Can't Always Get What You Want, came on the radio. And when I heard the line, "You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometime, you'll find you get what you need." I took it as a sign that Lake Mos is where we needed to be. Lake Mill is a vibrant community. We have a great downtown, especially when it's hosting the community events that we put on throughout the year. The recreation is also outstanding, including the ability to play golf. You know the after moving here, I quickly learned you get out of this community what you put into it. The original businessmen who invested in and created this golf course believed this community deserved a hometown course, even if it meant having to shape most of the course by hand. The Lake Mills Aelon Historical Society describes the course as one of the state's most challenging and well-loved golf layouts. A place meticulously shaped by generations of dedicated managers, enthusiastic members, and passionate players. Please honor the history of the golf course and the community's desire to

support it for years to come. I ask that you please do not approve the resolution. Thank you. Thank you, Jenna. Next is Anita.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak. My name is Anita Martin. For the past 25 years, we've made our home at 261 Pinnacle Drive in Lake Mills. When my husband Jim completed his military service, we moved to Wisconsin, our home state, and he took a position in Madison, where we lived for a number of years. After he changed jobs and began his employment with Ford Healthcare, it made more sense for us to consider moving to Jefferson County. We looked at properties in the town of Oakland. We looked at properties in the town of Lake Mills. And then we came to the golf course. We ate at the restaurant. We had that little lazy Susan thing with the beets and the German potato salad and the fish fry. We loved the people. Then we saw the beautiful property that was available for us and we purchased and we built our home. Many people don't realize or may not realize that you all as city plan commissioners serve as volunteers. So, it's important for us to thank you for your work, your service, and your diligent community commitment. I appear tonight to ask you to please vote no regarding resolution 26.1. The Lake Mills Golf Course is an integral part of our community, valued and enjoyed by young and older for folks alike for 99 years. It is a shining facet in the diamond character of our legendary Lake Mills community. Over the last three months, many individuals, myself included, have spoken at meetings and contacted you, expressing how and why the golf course is important to them, their families and friends, and to our community. Taxpayers have spoken, and our message is clear. A golfing

future is our desire. The message from many visitors residing outside our city, folks that go golfing and then afterwards often patronize other local businesses while here. It is also clear a golfing future for them to participate in is their desire too. The city manager, city staff, consultants and consultants recommend denial of the future land use map amendment. The me the memo these subject matter experts have compiled clearly identify key factors to consider in making tonight's decision. The plan commission is the body responsible for the city's 2040 comprehensive plan. As you evaluate the petition before you against the city's long range goals, I ask you to vote no to resol Sorry, the tongue is getting funny. Resolution 26-1. Please keep golfing in Lake Mill's future. Thank you.

Thanks, Anita. Next is Sue.

Hello. Hi, I'm Sue Gerger, 375 Pinnacle. Um, you know, this this whole issue just has me worked up. I'm I'm just freaked out about it every night. I emailed you guys and told you where I stood and I was really in favor of the golf course and the green space and everything. I've just changed my mind. I don't believe that an 18hole golf course can be supported here. Um, I would like to see the land use approved, the recommendation approved and a compromise worked out with the developers and the golf course. I see nothing wrong with a 9-hole golf course and residential area. So, I flipped, you know, I I just um I think this is just being brought on a lot of stress to our community. And what I also struggle with is I live right there in the golf course. a whole weekend will go by and I'll see three or four people go through. So, I just really struggle with if it's not being used today, is it going to be used tomorrow? So, thank you.

Thank you, Sue. Next is Will.

Hi, thanks for having me. Oh, thanks for having me. Um, I don't think I have a lot new to say. A lot of people here have said a lot of uh great things asking you guys to to be against um whatever we're calling it the uh future land use amendment. We don't we don't most of us here don't don't want it to change. Um but I'm Will Catalania. I live at 1012 Forest View Court. I live right on Hole 17. I've lived there for uh 9 years now. Uh I grew up in Lake Mills. Third generation Lake Millsian. I have three kids so they're the fourth generation. other side of my family has had a cottage on Sandy Beach Road since the 50s. Um, a lot of what's made this city legendary has been chipped away at over time. Um, I think when I grew up we were 3,700 people. Now we're about double that size. Um, it's neat to see the growth. It's neat to see the things that that have been coming to the community, but there's also some magical things that have been chipped away at. And um I guess one thing I would mention too is uh I I taught golf one summer for summer school. I sucked at it, but they they paid me like seven bucks an hour to to teach one summer school course of golf um in between my freshman and sophomore year, which was which was interesting. But um I guess you know my my thought is that that you know you got a lot of really cool people, a lot of special people in this town that uh are taking time out of their their evening um to express disinterest in in anything moving forward. Um nothing about Legendary Lake Mills says there should be 155 new houses. And I would love to see what that would look like on this tiny little orange thing. How you fit 155 houses in there. Um, it looks like there'll be about five on my lot line where hole 17 is because I'm that little house right there. Um, anyway, I'm against this and I'm with pretty much everyone but four people in this whole room and uh that that's all I all I have to say about it.

Thank you, Will. Next

is Gail. Uh, my name is Gail Bower and I live with my husband Jim on at 136 Pinnacle Drive. We live there for I think maybe 29 years now. Um, again tonight I want to thank you for giving us so many of us the opportunity to talk. I know it makes your evening much longer. Uh you heard many passionate again as well as health reasons, convers converse conservation reasons and I guess I was taken a little bit by surprise because last time our pot got sweetened a little bit by the offer of donating 80 acres to the proposal. And then tonight, uh let's see, somebody used curveball, somebody used blindsided. Um, I'm using sweetening the pot again tonight by um giving us a 9-hole golf course alongside of all the homes on the golf course. But I think the bottom line here is we're asked you are being asked to reszone this. That's still the bottom line. And if you reszone this, what is to say that the new buyers do what they are proposing? Maybe something will come up that will turn their residential into residential. Or maybe nine holes won't quite fit. If I look at this map, it was some really skinny nine holes that were going to be squeezed in back there. So, are we going to really attract people? And maybe we could get a golf pro over here who can

give us nine. Maybe he could also give us a good 18. So, along with the many other people here and as our and as our representatives, I would urge you to vote against the resolution 26.1. Thank you. Thank you, Gail. Um, we Pete. Hi there, Pete Herpst. Uh, 502 East Lake Street. Um, I was going to say a lot of things that everybody else already said, so I'm going to kind of skip over that. But I thought Mr. Rusty's presentation was actually pretty interesting. Um, but he kind of proved a point that that everybody's kind of missed. And that's what Katie's always said when she's talked that she's never gotten any viable offers. Nobody wants to run this as a golf course. Mr. Rusty does. Now, the reason I bring that up is I I do believe that it can be run as a golf course. I think that they've had offers, as a matter of fact, to run it as a golf course. It's just not viable in their opinion. So, um, so you got a decision in front of you, right? The decision is do we reszone this? And I think the question you got to ask is do does Lake Mills desperately need these houses? And then you got and if the answer is yes to that, then you have to ask yourself, okay, is the golf course where we got to put these houses? Is is that the only land that's going to work for these houses? Obviously, Mr. Loose wants that. That's okay. But if it's, you know, if the answer is yes to all of that there there, you know, then you you have to go with that decision. I would ask you not to be afraid to feel like your back's against the wall here, you know, like everybody wants to say that's that's for this is say like, hey,

you if this golf course doesn't, you know, if it becomes blighted property, it's never going to become a golf course again. That golf cart guy just said that Jefferson came back after a year and a half, albeit a miracle. I don't think that's, you know, like that far from the truth, but you know, whatever. So, make your decision. Obviously, like, like you said, I mean, that's a zoning thing. That's what we're talking about here. People's opinions are what they are, but those are decisions to make, and that's that's what I'm to put in front of you there. So, thank you, Pete.

Yeah. All right. Nick is our last speaker, but if you um but the floor is still open for anyone who still wants to say something new and novel on this. Good luck. uh Nick Vavra uh 340 Pinnacle Drive. I don't think I have anything new and novel. Um so it keeps easy on you guys. But um no, I mean 100 years ago it was a passionate group that designed this course and and created it. Uh and you have a passionate group here that you know wants to protect that. Um so standing here asking you to vote no on that. Um, you know, I think what's going to separate, you know, a good community from a great community is, you know, the assets. And that's what most people are talking about, right? It's not going to be the number of homes you can pack into, you know, a small area. We've got a lot of area on the outskirts of town. There's opportunity other places to grow. Um, it's hard to imagine just taking this away and why this is like immediately on the docket. So, um, I understand the the seller's interest, the buyer's interest, but, uh, it doesn't really feel like the community interest. So, uh, appreciate everyone's time.

Okay. Thanks. And is there anyone in the audience that would still like to pro provide testimony at this public hearing today? If so, please stand up to the microphone.

Good evening. Can you say your name and your address, please, and then allowing us to talk?

My name is Phil Bordon. I live at 775 Country View Lane. We've got a beautiful view of the golf course. Um, what I'd like to point out is number one, the golf course is going to be 100 years old. It started as a 9-hole golf course. Those nine holes are pretty much going to be the main area of new housing. When they expanded it to 18 holes, they built on the lowlands, typically on the right side of your little map that you've got here. Uh, and they're putting a bunch of houses there. One of the things they mentioned tonight was they will have to do landfill there. The reason for that is that's low land. The reason 65% of the rounds are nine holes is that section of the golf course floods every spring and a couple times during the summer and they shut it down and make it a nine-hole golf course. That's not to say people don't play nine holes, but that's the reason part of the reason for that 65%. Uh the initial proposal on here had no single family residents on the right side of the map. They were going to put 148 houses in the center. Uh I was here on uh January 24th and that's when they said we're going to give you 80 acres. And I saw some eyes widen. I heard oh what a wonderful gesture. Uh as I pointed out after the meeting, a lot of that is lowland that floods. It's still going to be that way. Now, if you make this thing into a 9-hole golf course using the existing green area, you're not going to be able to play nine holes there for part of the year. That's going to cause the golf course to close. I've got a feeling that at that point it's not viable anymore. Uh I don't agree that uh this should be

changed. I'd like you guys to vote against 26.1. And I thank you very much for your time. Thank you. Appreciate it. if you can sign in too um with your name and address all 12. So you got to say your name and your address on there and then yeah just sign in. Thank you. Next.

Uh Joseph Hurdle 11:01 Fairway Court. Uh very simply, you approved the map for the 2040 um comprehensive plan. Nowhere in there was the golf course being developed. My assumption is in 10 years you're going to be looking at starting another comprehensive plan. See what has changed since then. Wait till then. Put everything aside right now. See what happens. and then in the next comprehensive map look at it then. Thank you. Thank you. If you don't mind signing in as well. Thank you. Next speaker.

Hi, I'm Todd Patton. I live at 1100 Fairway Court. Um and I'm I'm I think in a bit of a unique position. We uh I I wasn't originally going to speak tonight necessarily, but I was inspired by young John there. Um I've been a teacher at the high school for 20 years. This is my 20th year. and the uh the uh golf coach for the last 15. So, I have kind of a unique I guess perspective on this and I I agree with so many of the things people say. I'm also a very avid golfer and I've been a member at this course for many many years and and I I actually live on the cart path, not quite on the course. So, I see tons of co is very good for golf. There's lots and lots and lots of golf cars going by uh regularly and since I have a little more time off in the summer, I see a lot of that. So, it's actually pretty pretty busy course, but um I like I said, I agree with a lot of the other perspectives we've heard tonight uh with many of them. My kind of alternate perspective has to do again with the golf team. And as far as my research intel, there's been a golf team here at Lake Mills since at least the late 50s, probably even earlier than that. And this has been their home. And this will be the first year in 70 years where this is not our home course. And that's pretty upsetting. So, we have to, you know, find an alternate uh course to use. We're been uh graciously offered caution on mounds, which is about a half hour away for us. This is going to pose significant issues for some of the kids that need to get to practice. And so, I'm I'm a little bit worried about the future of the program. And so, about the program, like I said, I've been coaching for 15 years. I've never cut a kid in my life. Um I we get all kinds of kids. But what's kind of interesting about the golf team is that many of the kids are not your more traditional athletes. You think of like you know the football team, basketball team, whatever. You have certain athletes, they've been playing for, you know, their whole lives. Half of my team often have never played golf until they step foot on the

course first day of practice. And one of my goals, and I say I encourage that. I want that to teach those kids some of the things the life lessons that golf can give you. uh confidence uh the problem solving just perseverance and and having to deal with some issues and just learning the etiquette and respect for uh for each other's play for the game itself I think there's a lot of life lessons there and if I can get the kids to the point where they feel comfortable you know playing some golf even if it's on the weekends with their grandparents or friends or whatever then that's a win for me and I worry that we've been very fortunate to have the golf course literally right next door to the school property where especially especially freshmen that don't drive, they can just walk through the parking lot. There's a little hole in the fence and they can walk right on the course to the to the practice screen where we all meet. If we have to choose an alternate uh course to use as their home, many of those kids are going to have a hard time getting there. So, we're trying to figure out the logistics and getting kids to the course for practices and it's it's becoming a bit of a of an issue. But we typically have depending upon the year between 15 and 25 kids that come out and I really worry about the the future of of the program and and how feasible it is for long term. So I would encourage you to vote no for this proposal.

Thank you very much. Thank you. Okay. Any other in the audience that like to provide testimony at today's public hearing? Question. Um are we You're welcome to hear it. You're not required to. Okay. For after the vote is taken, will we could we have an opportunity to speak afterwards? No. Public hearing will be closed in a moment once we're done speaking.

Any other testimony? I see nobody. Okay. So, with that, I'm going to close the public hearing at 7:56. Um before we move on to agendum item number six, how does the planning commission feel about taking a 10-minute rec? Second. Okay. Yeah. All right. All in favor say I. I. Opposed. All right. 10-minute recess back at 807. Okay.

Oh yeah, he's running. Oh yeah. Yeah, that's great. Everyone can please return.

Yeah, I know. I know him. Thank you. So we can wrap up so we can get this process continued. Thank you. Okay. Um, and so now we're going to enter into the sixth item of the agenda, which is a discussion decision from the planning commission on this proposed amendment and resolution 261 to the comprehensive plan, the future land use map at 800 South Main Street. Um, city staff, if you could help provide some context and some thoughts. Thank you.

So, I'll just try to kind of bring us back to what is before you tonight. So, this is an this is a petition for an amendment to the future land use map. So, you are not uh grappling with zoning. You're not grappling with um whether or not to change the current zoning designation of rural development to another zoning district within the code. Uh the petition that's before you is for planned neighborhood. As has been stated multiple times, the staff recommendation for a future land use map designation change to plan neighborhood is recommended for denial. Um there are there's two re there's a a reason for that, right? So there the future land use map is two things at its core. The f first thing it is is it's a regulatory document. You cannot you meaning the city ultimately the city council cannot adopt a zoning change to a parcel that is in conflict with its future land use map. So that is the regulatory portion of it. The second part of the future land use map though is a message to um current land owners, future developers, those interested in Lake Mills as a market of what the city envisions in a certain portion of the community. As has been stated, planned neighborhood allow the goal of planned neighborhood is a to allow a variety of different uses within it. That ranges in terms of housing from single family housing, duplexes, triplexes, four units, 8 units, 10 units up to our highest density allowed. The the the application before you is not whether to approve a specific buildout plan. It is what the future land use map should be. It is staff's

opinion that the future land use map should not be changed to something that the city has no desire to attract. The city city and city staff opinion dense multifamily development is not something that would be congruent with the existing neighborhood. But under the plan neighborhood designation, there is at least a portion of it under the percentages that uh are stated in the comprehensive plan that would invite such a proposal to come before the city. And so that is why you see why you see the staff recommendation how it is. Another point that I want to bring up, tonight is not a vote for you on whether or not to save the golf course. I've said this from the beginning. And it is not within the city's power to mandate that the golf course remain open. It is not within the city's power to mandate that the current owner sell their land.

Um there is nothing that this body can do rejecting the future land use map or not to guarantee that this golf course opens for this season, next season or any season thereafter. What you are grappling with is what whether or not to change the future land use map from current open and park space to something else. In in in the event that you do so, yes, there is still an a a next step, a zoning change that would have to occur to allow any other use other than what is currently allowed under its zoning designation of rural development or its current use. The the future land use map is an additional step and another public process that the city can require developers to go through in order to um determine whether their proposed use is is what the city wants to see um within within the comprehensive plan. Can it change? Yes. should it change is up to the plan commission. So that is really what's before you tonight is whether the petition is for a change to plan neighborhood. Whe whether or not the golf course opens, whether or not the golf course is a viable business, whether or not uh someone can buy the golf course and bring it back is not something that the city staff is going to advise you on. We do we don't run golf courses. We don't know what that entails. But in the in the same tone that the city cannot ever can't force a land owner to sell and can't force a land owner to op

open, at no point is a land owner entitled to a change in the future land use map or entitled to a change in their zoning. The city can wait for as long as it wanted to to try and bring the use that it wants to see. What you want that use to be is up to you and what's before you tonight. So, if the future land use map stays the same, that means that the zoning designation cannot change to anything other than its current zoning district, which is rural development. Its current use can continue. a golf course can continue. Um, but you the a an application for a zoning change would not would be denied immediately because the future land use map doesn't align with it. So that is the question before you. Do you want to change the future land use map? What is the plan commission's vision for this particular parcel? And do you and do you want to make it to change that designation to something that would allow a zoning change application to come before you? There is this the action on the future land use map must be approved by the plan commission. The future land use map cannot change without the acquisition of this body. Meaning that if the plan commission does not change the future land use map, the city council will never see it. If the f if the future land use map is is voted to be changed by the plan commission, it then must also be approved by the city council. If both of those things happen, then the z a zoning an application for a zoning change would come before the plan

commission for another public hearing process and a recommendation from this body to the city council where the city council would take final action on whether to change um the the zoning district. So the zoning is not before you tonight. the the whether or not the golf course opens or not is not before you tonight. It's this is purely a question of your vision for this piece of property. The petition is for planned neighborhood. You have seen some uh potential changes to the plan. The specific buildout plan is not is also not before you tonight. It can be used as evidence for you to consider on whether or not you'd want to see something like that happen, but the details of what that would look like would are not to the point yet of an approval of an approval process. So, the the developer has made certain commitments to you of single family h housing. I should say the applicant of single family housing with a 9-hole golf course. um that actual plan gets approved through the zoning change application process. The it would the PDD application process if that was the application that was made that's what would then come before you next. But none of that happens unless the future land use map is amended from its current designation. Is that clear?

Is that clear everyone? So if it's not then please that is the most clarity that we've heard. It's uh that is crystal clear. We're good. So planning commissioners, we've heard from our applicants. We've heard from the community um for months um and we provided more testimony today. If you have any questions, comments, concerns, now is the time to go ahead and voice those. I'll start, I guess. Okay, Mr. Waters.

First off, I'd like to apologize for my frustration earlier. Uh, I wasn't mad at city staff. Um, I was kind of upset with the process being on city council and the planning commission and other committees. I like to have facts in front of me so I can do research before the meeting. I want to come in and make educated decisions and and have a chance to review documents and I didn't get the chance for that tonight. Um, and also the city community didn't get a chance to review those documents beforehand either and I think that's part of the process. So hopefully in the future that'll happen like Mr. Daily said, "We're here to review the future land use map." Uh, I don't think my decision has changed or my opinion has changed after hearing what's what's going on or happening tonight. Uh, I appreciate everyone's feedback from the community. I appreciate the petitioners for the presentation. Uh, Mr. loose. I know you're a great contractor. I I know people that have your homes or live in in houses that you've built, a high level of respect. So, however this goes down tonight, I hope it doesn't taint your opinion of Lake Mills. We we love uh love your projects. So, thank you. Um the staff has given their opinion of not to support this amendment. uh that weighs pretty heavy because uh that doesn't happen very often

and um and that that kind of aligns where I'm at at this point. So I guess that's enough said. Well, in my quest for due diligence in with full disclosure, I've met with some of the residents and the developer and have have tried to dig as deep as I could into this into this um um what we have before us. Um, I also agree with with the character and the developments that Loose Homes has provided and I don't think we see him going anywhere anytime in the future. Um, there's a whole bunch of like housekeeping that I could go through with actually both sides in their presentations and their assumptions. However, I don't think that's necessary at this point. Um, I think uh the the I I absolutely also want to thank everybody that showed up here. I used to stand in front of that podium where you did, looked into that camera, beg people to come and be part of the likes of comprehensive plans, zoning, complete zoning uh uh changes for the entire city and no one was out there. So, this just shows the importance of uh public involvement. I appreciate everybody's respect and and followed Greg's guidelines and I think we had a very civil and informative meeting. Um, however, in this particular case, everybody's needs to kind of watch what they wish for. Um, the comprehensive comprehensive plan took forever to do. Uh, gazillion pages and and definitely developer driven. um at at at this juncture. I just think that

what we've all been through and and kind of a it's a little deeper than just a a crystal clear explanation. It's it's kind of philosophical on where this has came from. And I just in my opinion, I kind of agree with Greg. I think it's just the wrong place, wrong time. So, I uh I appreciate everybody.

Thanks. Thoughts, questions? Go ahead. I just like to say and um thank everybody for their input tonight. We've heard I don't know 3 4 hours of this and it's pretty much the same thing to save the golf course and I understand that. Um there's a lot of um rumors going around um good, bad, and indifferent, I guess. And I don't know what to believe and what not to believe anymore. Um I also thank you for all the um emails. We I have and I'm sure these guys have received well over a hundred emails and some of them um over and over the same thing from the same people. So we we understand that we got a lot of input obviously. So thanks again for your input.

I' I'd just like to re reiterate what they have said. I I appreciate all of you all the emails, all the reaching out. I've talked with people in the community. Um, I understand you've put a lot of work and time and effort into this and I agree with all the comments on the quality of loose homes. I'm an appraiser. I see it loose homes all the time. Um, I for me it goes to um what Drake said and legally permissible and highest and best use. So that's where I'm at.

Any thoughts? All right. Um and Mr. Chairman, and I also appreciate the um the outstanding um participation by everyone who cares about the future of Lake Mills. I also received a lot of emails and I appreciate each one and I know I answered very briefly after you wrote um very expressively but I knew that we would have these opportunities to hear from you directly. I for me this is um the history of Lake Mills. A lot of history came before all of us and there is a lot of history ahead of all of us and we uh had an example this evening by the 8-year-old who will be part of this history ahead of us. In my view, it is too early in the long stretch of the history of Lake Mills to consider a change of land use to this property.

Thanks, ma'am. Okay. Um, I mean, this is all about figuring out what's in the interest of the community, the homeowners, the current property owners, future generations. Um, nothing here has changed what I have said in the past. Um, and what has been said by by from the my fellow planning commissioners. Um, yeah. So, I have nothing additional to contribute. I think I'm listen I think uh the city gave us a very courageous voice and and sharing their um thoughts. So, I appreciate that. And I am very interested in um delaying no longer in having the planning commission share their courageous voice as well. So um I'm open to hearing a motion and I'm I'm wording it specifically for the approval of resolution 261 because that's the way it's framed. Um, and so unless there's further comment, do you need So I'll clarify that for you,

please.

Resolutions as a matter of course are drafted in the affirmative. So that means that a motion to approve the resolution and a second if you were if that were to happen, a yes vote would be to approve the amendment in the future land use map. But no vote would be to deny the change in the future land use map. The reason resolutions are written in the affirmative is because a vote if a vote to deny fails that is not a vote to approve. But if a vote to approve fails that is a denial. Um this is why this is why I'm asking it to be said in the affirmative a motion to approve 261. So lack of action, lack of an affirmative vote is a denial of an application by the plan commission.

Correct. If someone were to make a motion to deny the application and that were seconded and that were voted on and that vote were to lose, you'd still need another motion to address the item on the floor. Double negative. Just be Yeah, because that the motion is has to be a motion to approve. Got it. In order to move forward, Mr. Mr. Chairman, I move approval of resolution 261. Okay. It's been motioned by Miss Lozeras. Um, is there a second? Mr. Holman will second.

It's been motioned by Miss Lazarus. Second, seconded by Mr. Holman for the approval of resolution 261. I'll move to a roll call vote unless there's further comment. I'm I'm confused. I thought you said

so we're voting on So essentially if if if you now a yes vote for the for for what has been motioned and seconded. Um a yes vote for the approval of 261 would change our future land use map and allow the applicant to continue the process they are currently entered in. Correct. So they would go ahead and then they would move to zoning and those kinds of things. Right. A no vote would specifically change the future land use map to a planned neighborhood. That would go on to a yes vote would do that. A no vote would keep the city's land use map as it is today and it would stop the process of redeveloping the properties at 800 South Main Street.

It would halt this process. It would halt this process. This future land use maps petition and a zoning change could not move forward. Thank you for that. Is that clear? Okay. Is there any other questions on this motion? Okay. Can we call for a roll call vote? Mrs. Lazarus? No. Mr. Grady? No. Mr. Waters? No. Miss Heim Street? No. Dr. Mason? No. Mr. Homeman? No. Motion fails. 6.

Okay. And I want to thank everyone. I want to thank our applicants. I want to thank the community members. You all I asked for you guys to make me proud of this community and everyone has. Everyone has. Um so now on to number seven of our agenda recommendations for future agenda items. City staff outside of our meeting for Tuesday. Is there a meeting on Tuesday? Yeah, there is not. We did not receive any applications that we were thinking we might. So there's no meeting scheduled for Tuesday. Um

if everyone can please We're almost done and there's We're almost done. It just so no meeting Tuesday, right? That's correct. Okay.

Um just to close the just to close the loop on the on the previous item. So an amendment to the count the plan commission has taken action which means that a a another amen another application request without substantial changes could not happen for a year. A substantially different application could come forward at a different time. So I just want you to be aware that the application once an application is made and it's acted upon if it's denied there's a waiting period in order to bring back the same application. there can be applications made to the to the body in the future with a substantially different um application. So, um that's an entirely different process at that point. But as far as next week, we have no applications before us and therefore we do not need to meet. Okay. Thank you. All right. Um I'll take a motion for adjournment.

So moved. Second. All right. All in favor say I. I. I. Oppos? No. Means journed.