KEWASKUM — Residents of a quiet cul-de-sac in Kewaskum are speaking out against a proposed development that would bring a sports complex, hotel and 300 homes to the northern part of the village.
The Kewaskum Village Board held a meeting Monday that lasted nearly 4 hours, with residents voicing concerns about the project's pace, lack of communication from the board, increased traffic, property values and the potential impact on local wildlife.
Sandy Ress lives on the cul-de-sac where the development would border her property, according to a rendering of the project. Her son, who lives with cerebral palsy, relies on the neighborhood for outdoor activity.
"Going for walks is the only thing he can do outside and he loves it," she said. "I'm seriously concerned for the amount of traffic that's going to be going through here. It just makes me extremely sad that it might all change."
Neighbor Allen Heberer raised concerns about a bald eagle nest located within the footprint of the proposed development.
"I want them to be notified that there are three nests back here," he said. "If they can help protect them and they can't, say, all of a sudden they're gone!"
Heberer also expressed frustration with the board's responsiveness to residents' questions.
"It's a hard swallow when you have questions and they won't answer them," Heberer said.
Neighbor Jess Geib said the project has moved too quickly and without enough public communication.
"There has been very little transparency on this," Geib said. "I have no problem with development, but let's make a development that's beneficial to all property values."
Geib said his primary concerns are increased traffic and the effect the development could have on surrounding property values.
All three neighbors called on board members to consider how they would feel if the project were proposed in their own neighborhoods.
"You can't tell me... you'd be pleased with a giant sports complex and cement wall being plopped right next to your house," Ress said.
The village's interim administrator read a statement during the meeting but did not answer residents' questions directly.
"We don't have answers to these questions at this time," Tammy Butz said. "As these studies are happening now and we don't know the answers yet."
Residents said they plan to continue attending meetings and speaking out against the project.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
