Nov. 21, 2017 – Slinger, WI – There was a full house Monday night for the public hearing before the Slinger Plan Commission regarding a review of the draft of the 2017 Village of Slinger Comprehensive Plan.
Jackie Mich, associate with Vandewalle & Associates, Inc., began the meeting by reviewing a draft of the future land-use map that covered the next 20 years. Mich pointed out possible land use that featured multi-family residential, parks, industrial, and commercial development.
The biggest point of concern for neighbors surrounded a suggestion to improve CTH K north of the village and possibly look at Arthur Road as an area for increased truck traffic.
The proposal is available by clicking HERE and looking at the Community Meeting Presentation.
Neighbors spoke out specifically against the Arthur Road discussion even when village officials said the idea was off the table.
Many who left the meeting were still skeptical and felt elected officials were trying a different approach to push the old Highway 60 reliever route project through.
“Until I see what goes on at the County Board I’m still skeptical,” said Pam Watkins, an advocate who fought the Highway 60 reliever route.
Town of Hartford Chairman Maury Strupp said he just wanted to get any future road development plans off Arthur Road. “It’s just too congested,” he said. “You’ve got all them driveways and houses so close to the road; it’s just asinine and they keep coming back with another idea and I want to get it off the plan completely so they don’t come up with another plan some day.”
Strupp stressed any proposed reliever route would be adequate to the south of Highway 60 rather than trying to force the project north.
Two other neighbors from Slinger also felt nothing was accomplished or resolved during the meeting.
“Why would we want more commercial development in a rural/agricultural area? That makes no sense at all,” said Jeffrey Metke.
Wanda Craft just moved to Slinger in July and said it was because she likes the rural area and the quiet. “I want to look out my window and see the countryside, I don’t want to hear trucks, I don’t want to hear banging from the industrial park,” she said. “We don’t get a say in who gets to come and build there, the Planning Commission will decide for us and I don’t think that’s responsible.”
After the public hearing Slinger Board President Russell Brandt said it has been the Village’s position that “we do not feel Arthur Road is a proper road for a reliever route.”
“We don’t want a reliever route, we’ve made that plain and clear to the county and the last thing we understood was CTH K was going to be the reliever route and we’re fine with that but that’s outside of our planning area,” he said.
Trustee Rick Gundrum said to do a reliever route on Arthur Road would not be cost effective and would destroy a lot of properties.
At the conclusion of the meeting the Plan Commission voted unanimously to recommend to the Village Board to remove a bridge proposal over I41 and Arthur Road, adopt suggestions by Vandewalle & Associates, and change land use on a parcel north of HWY 60 and east of County Trunk C from commercial to planned business park.
Where do these people think these trucks should go-outer space? I would not be happy either,but they must realize that progress happens.They should have known this would happen when the industrial parks went in.How many have employment in the industrial parks? Progress isn’t always painless for everyone.What is their solution -horse and buggy?