Dear POA members,
As you may know, in 2017, Cedar Community indicated an interest in the further development of their facility on Big Cedar Lake. In June of 2017, Big Cedar POA formed a working group from the board to work with Cedar Community and to share our concerns. We would like our members to know that this group still exists, it functions, and communicates or meets on occasion with Cedar Community.
Currently, it is our understanding that Cedar Community is planning to develop dozens of new structures on the property which the Southeast Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC) has determined contains significant amounts of Primary Environmental Corridor. In 2015 SEWRPC and Washington County Planning and Parks Department published a 678-page report titled A MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR WASHINGTON COUNTY: 2050 which provides guidance to local municipalities when considering new development in Washington County. An excerpt from the report is below. The full report is available to the public at sewrpc.org.
“Preserving primary environmental corridors and isolated natural resource areas in essentially natural, open uses can help reduce flood flows, reduce noise pollution, and maintain air and water quality. Primary environmental corridors are important to the movement of wildlife and for the movement and dispersal of seeds for a variety of plant species. In addition, because of the many interacting relationships between living organisms and their environment, the destruction and deterioration of any one element of the natural resource base may lead to a chain reaction of destruction and deterioration. For example, destroying woodland cover may result in soil erosion and stream siltation, more rapid stormwater runoff, and attendant increased flood flows and stages, as well as the destruction of wildlife habitat. Although the effects of any single environmental change may not be overwhelming, the combined effects will eventually create serious environmental and developmental problems.”
We have recently learned that Cedar Community is planning to present its development plan to the Town of West Bend Plan Commission and the Town of West Bend Board in the near future. While at this time we do not know the specifics of the plan, CC has repeatedly made and reaffirmed their commitment, both in public forums and in their own literature, that their plan will preserve the natural state of their Environmental Corridor, and we expect that they will keep to their word.
The position of the POA remains the same as we have stated in the numerous meeting with Cedar Community; that the primary environmental corridor and the shoreline listed by the DNR as “Sensitive Area of Lakes” on their surface water data map should be permanently protected. By protecting the primary environmental corridor and shoreline, we ensure that any future development is done outside of this sensitive area. We are asking that Cedar Community commit to a conservation easement as part of the development plan. We want our members to know that the POA is working on your behalf toward this goal.
The POA will keep you informed of Cedar Community’s progress with the Town of West Bend, and when there will be opportunities for public participation before any final approval by the Town.
Big Cedar Lake Property Owners Association – Working Group
Dave Baldus
Mike Nast
Steve Simon