A Request for Architectural and Engineering Services for the Potawatomi State Park Observation Tower by Governor Tony Evers and Department of Natural Resources Secretary Preston Cole is not good enough according to local politicians and residents.
According to the Public Feedback Summary released by the state after holding listening sessions earlier this year, 353 of the 361 responses received by the state voiced their support for the structure to remain. The majority of the responses were indifferent or did not mention making a rebuilt tower ADA accessible or its historical significance. Both Evers and Cole recognized the tower’s importance to the park and its role in improving access to the outdoors.
Christie Weber of the Sturgeon Bay Historical Society scoffed at the announcement, saying the tower could be saved and not replaced as the RFP suggests. There have already been five studies of the tower, including one funded by the organization itself when Dr. Dan Tingley of Wood Research and Development announced that the tower’s main support and the majority of its components could be saved shortly after it was closed permanently in 2017.
State Senator Andre Jacque and Rep. Joel Kitchens also took aim at Governor Evers. with both citing his negligence for the decaying structure and accusing him of stalling. You can read their comments below.
FROM SENATOR JACQUE
The Evers Administration’s shifting blame for its failure to restore and preserve the historic 90-year-old Potawatomi State Park Observation Tower shows it simply does not want to do the project and never has, State Sen. André Jacque (R-De Pere) said today.
“Money is not an issue,” said Sen. Jacque, a member of the State Building Commission. “The current state budget, which the Governor signed last summer, includes over $200 million for maintenance projects for state facilities – not to mention all the federal ARPA money he is distributing throughout the state. The DNR could have submitted a request to the Building Commission at any time, but they have failed to do so.”
“We wish the Governor would tell the DNR to prioritize repairing the Tower instead of studying it to death,” said Christie Weber, former President of the Sturgeon Bay Historical Society Foundation. “This is the fifth study, and the administration’s own Brander Report, which claimed the Tower was not historic, has already been debunked.”
The iconic tower was targeted for demolition by the DNR in 2018 after the agency claimed that the structure, which is now listed on both state and federal historic registries, was unsafe and would require a costly rebuild, rather than a much less expensive repair. After repeated rejections of Sen. Jacque’s request to meet with DNR Secretary Preston Cole to discuss the tower and urge reconsideration, a meeting was finally allowed months later where the DNR indicated a willingness to support repair, instructing Sen. Jacque to submit the plans commissioned by the Sturgeon Bay Historical Society Foundation to Building Commission staff. However, the DNR subsequently withdrew its backing of the stamped architectural plans for Potawatomi Tower repair from a timber repair expert - plans consistent with the similar Mountain Park Watchtower repair authorized on Door County’s Washington Island by the town government just this past year.
“Actions speak louder than words,” Sen. Jacque said. “The Building Commission cannot approve a project that the Evers administration has not submitted for approval.”
Sen. Jacque noted that the most recent stall tactics announced by the Evers Administration and their stated timeline would push out the ability for any repair approval to occur beyond this fall’s gubernatorial election.
“The campaign to save the Potawatomi State Park Observation Tower is an example of public engagement at its best,” Sen. Jacque said. “It is shameful that the Evers Administration continues to string good people along with no intention of taking any meaningful action.”
Sen. Jacque said his goal has always been to help save this treasured landmark in a manner that preserves it for future generations.
“Today, promoting tourism and outdoor recreation and preserving our history is more important than ever,” Sen. Jacque said. “The Evers administration’s willful negligence toward the Potawatomi Tower is putting a vital piece of our area’s livelihood and heritage at risk. It is critical that action be taken now to repair the Potawatomi State Park Tower before further damage and deterioration can occur.”
FROM REP. KITCHENS
Rep. Joel Kitchens (R-Sturgeon Bay) has released the following statement regarding the announcement from Gov. Evers and the Department of Natural Resources that they have issued a request for proposal to either repair or replace the observation tower at Potawatomi State Park but will continue to study the different options before making a decision in December:
“The people of Door County will not be fooled by this blatantly deceptive political maneuvering by the Evers administration. It is more than obvious that they are stalling until after the November election so that they do not upset the majority of residents who overwhelmingly support rehabilitating the iconic tower, which is listed on both the State and National Register of Historic Places.
“Due to that designation, the DNR is legally required to submit a plan to preserve the structure. So far, they have ignored that legal obligation. That really comes as no surprise since they have delayed the process numerous times since the tower was closed to the public in 2017. Shortly thereafter, a company known for repairing towers across the world came up with a proposal to restore the Potawatomi structure. For nearly four years the DNR has been studying several different plans and this latest stall tactic is the epitome of willful neglect.
“I also take issue that Gov. Evers is once again blaming the Legislature for the failures of his administration. The DNR is part of the executive branch, meaning they are under the complete control of the governor. If he wanted to, Gov. Evers could order the repair of the tower today. We could also proceed if he allowed the state Building Commission to consider the project. This falls squarely on Gov. Evers’ shoulders and he should be held accountable for his conspicuous lack of action.”
