Now that the appeal by a citizens group of the Ordinary High Water Mark (OHWM) for the west side waterfront in Sturgeon Bay has been denied, Mayor David Ward hopes the focus can be on the future development and the plan set forth by the Ad hoc Westside Waterfront Planning Committee. 

The ruling by Judge Gregory Gill, Jr. this week stated that the 22 petitioners, which included former chair of the Waterfront Redevelopment Authority and council member Thomas “Cap” Wulf and former Door County Economic Development Corporation director Bill Chaudoir, had no legal standing for the appeal.  Other petitioners included John Wiese and Dr. Joan Wake, who was recently appointed to the ethics committee.  You can find a list of all the appellants and the case summary with the link below the story.

Mayor Ward says the West Waterfront Development plan that was adopted conforms to the existing OWHM ruling made by the Department of Natural Resources.  He says he wants to push forward and start on the proposed promenade that is closest to the water where there is little dispute.  Ward added that if no future appeals are made, the city will probably go back to Judge Raymond Huber with hopes to remove the injunction placed on the two land parcels where a defunct hotel plan fell through two years ago.  Huber ruled in February of 2017 that the land was artificially-filled lakebed and was under the protection of the Public Trust Doctrine. 

  https://wcca.wicourts.gov/caseDetail.html?caseNo=2019CV000013&countyNo=15&index=0