Bloomfield Wisconsin’s recent request to become a village has some nearby Wisconsin cities concerned, according to a recent article from Lake Geneva News online.  

A few Bloomfield residents are seeking to incorporate a 21-square mile region of the town which would include Pell Lake, Lake Ivanhoe and Nippersink.  Though officials representing Bloomfield have assured surrounding cities and villages that most of the area to be incorporated is zoned for conservation use only and could not be built on, there are still concerns.  

Genoa City and Lake Geneva officials are worried that the incorporation would inhibit the growth of their own communities and want to compromise for another solution to satisfy both sides.  If a compromise cannot be reached they are also prepared to fight the request at the state level.

For more on the proposed incorporation of Bloomfield WI visit Lake Geneva News.

The Lake Geneva Wisconsin Plan Commission agreed in their last meeting to hold off considering another plan for the Hummel property developers until after the city’s Smart Growth comprehensive plan is completed.  This Smart Growth plan is required by state statues to be complete by the end of December of 2009 and will need to be adopted by all city officials.

Needless to say, developers of the Hummel property were not pleased to hear this, as they will have to wait another couple of years before any possible development will be made.  Their original plans included a large scale housing development for residential, single-family, multifamily, seniors, and townhouse units at the southeast side of the city near Big Foot Beach State Park.

The city officials do not feel that it is time for a development this large and in that location, and wish to wait until after the Smart Growth Plan is finished.

Lake Geneva Wisconsin will have to look more closely at building a comprehensive master plan in the coming months. This will all be in line with Wisconsin’s state Smart Growth legislation which requires all participating cities to have a plan on how much growth they will allow over the next 20 years in their respective areas; state law dictates that this plan must be in place by 2010.

Moving forward with the comprehensive plan, at the end of May the Lake Geneva city council approved public participation in each phase of the process for arriving at a reasonable and agreeable comprehensive plan. The Smart Growth legislation requires this public input in meetings and offers the opportunity for residents to participate in workshops, surveys, exhibits, and an open house for feedback; this should alleviate the feeling of disconnect that many property owners have with city officials.

For more on the comprehensive plan for Lake Geneva visit Lake Geneva Regional News online.