Grand Cambrian draws protest
Kay James/Events
Debbie Kinder holds a poster board with several photos of what the Grand Cambrian Resort is to look like from the river and the photos vary in how visible the building is.
By Kay James, Dells Events
About 100 people filled the council chambers in the Wisconsin Dells Municipal Building to register opposition to the granting of a permit by the Department of Natural Resources for the Grand Cambrian Resort Thursday night.
The DNR is considering whether to grant the development a Chapter 30 permit. The permit is required whenever land within 300 feet of water is to be disturbed. The hearing was to learn concerns people have about the project.
Except for two representatives of the resort developer, Mac McDonald, no one spoke in favor of the 348-unit condominium project in the Lower Dells along the Wisconsin River, near the Sugar Bowl formation.
Among those attending, 15 persons spoke about their concerns about the development including ruining the natural beauty of the river by the visibility of the condominium hotel, erosion of the area from stormwater runoff, harming the water quality of the river through runoff, harm to endangered plants and animals, increased traffic on the river and in the area, and threats to a segment of the Dells of the Wisconsin River Natural Area that is next to the resort site.
The three-hour hearing began with Jeff Clark, an attorney with Clark and Lathrop of Madison, and Bradley Boettcher of General Engineering, Portage, describing the two and a half years of negotiations with the city and other agencies to reach agreements for building the resort with a minimum impact on the scenic beauty of the river.
"We are not here to debate the purpose. That decision was made in 2006," Clark said to begin his presentation. He then pointed out that although the resort is next to a natural area, it is just up the river from the Riverwood Condominium development on River Road that also fronts the river, and in the middle of the natural area is 40 acres owned by the city of the Dells and village of Lake Delton, where the two jointly operate a sewage treatment plant. Across the river are River's Edge and Big Cedar Lodge and a short distance down and across the river is what he called a pocket of development.
Boettcher described the plans for the resort, which he said would be on 62 acres of which 62 percent will be undisturbed or restored open and green space. He said the development would not be where the site has large rock outcroppings or significant tree stands.
He also described the park, which will be partially in a parking structure, and stormwater runoff plans, which will be in retention ponds and underground basins.
Clark said the condominium hotel would have a setback of 120 feet, which is beyond the 75 feet required by the state and in the first 75 feet from the river; the trees and other plants would not be disturbed. He did say dead trees and invasive or exotic species would be removed.
He also showed doctored digital photographs of the views of the proposed resort from the river to display how little of the resort would be visible.
Later Alderperson Debbie Kinder spoke against the project and showed photographs that had been presented to the council earlier this year and ones from an advertisement. In those photographs, the complex is much more visible.
Clark also said the 2,000 feet of river frontage would not be developed and the resort would only have two piers on the river. One would be used only by canoes or kayaks and the other would have four slips. Two of the slips would be for boats owned by the resort to use in emergencies. The resort would not have any slips for guests for overnight docking.
The resort will have a boat ramp, but Clark said the ramp was already on the site. He said that ramp had been used by one of the Duck companies at one time.
Clark said the resort has also negotiated with the DNR and will put up no trespassing signs along the border of the natural area. He also said walking paths at the resort will not be along natural area so as not to encourage guests to go into the natural area. He also said the developer had agreed to pick landscaping plants from an approved list and only native species would be planted.
The resort is also negotiating with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, he said, to ensure protection of bald eagles. No bald eagle nests have been identified on the property, but he said the development will not remove trees during eagles brooding season from Feb. 15 to Aug. 30.
First to speak was Hiroshi Kanno of Newport, president of the Concerned Citizens of Newport. His group has also brought a lawsuit contesting the stormwater and erosion plans for the resort. In his statement, Kanno listed as concerns the use of tax incremental financing for the resort, that there are Ho-Chunk burial sites on the property, the effect of the condo residents on the area, and increased traffic on the river. Kanno said that although the resort has only two piers, "once it gets going, people will want more and the city will probably go with them."
James Saul of Midwest Environmental Advocates, Madison, said the Chapter 30 law requires the DNR to ensure the development is in the public interest. He also read a letter from the state's Natural Areas Preservation Council opposing the project saying it would harm the natural area. In the letter, signed by Charles S. Luthin, chair of the council, he said, "Designing a 1000-person capacity hotel/condominium resort adjoining a state natural area is akin to constructing a football stadium at the base of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park."
In the letter, Luthin said if the development goes ahead, the developer should buy and give nearby land to the state to expand the natural area, giving cash to the natural area for "site-specific management" of the Dells natural area, supporting research and education at the property, and supporting a friends group for the natural area.
Jack Waterman said his concern was that a landscape 300 years in the making would be destroyed in a few weeks. He also said the area is sandy and susceptible to erosion. With the number of impermeable surfaces (roofs, roads and paved areas), the site would have huge erosion problems.
Sarah Lloyd of Newport read a letter from Kristen Helland opposing the project. Helland is in China.
Barrie White, who lives on Bowman Road, said the resort will have "an obvious detrimental effect" on plant and wildlife.
Sara Pace of Lake Delton, read a letter from Nina Bradley, daughter of Aldo Leopold, opposing the project. Susanna Bradley also spoke against the project.
Betsy Reese Grant, of Cambridge, Mass., sister to Kinder, expressed her opposition to the destruction of the scenic beauty of the river.
Tim Schulenburg, of Hillside Drive, pointed to a need to be careful with development so the area did not become like Lake Delton. Driving on Canyon Road in Lake Delton now, "you almost can't see the lake," because of development. "If someone built this in your backyard, you'd be in opposition to it, too."
Denny Caneff, director of the River Alliance of Wisconsin, said, the DNR's job is to "transcend the local interest in adding to its tax base and adding jobs" and say that the impact is too big. Public rights should be honored, he said.
"I'm baffled by the trees," Caneff said. The developer said 102 trees would be preserved and by Caneff's calculations that would be one tree every 20 feet along the riverfront. "Trees are critical to retaining the natural beauty," he said. He also asked the DNR representatives to reconcile the different images of the resort that had been presented.
Raymond Hitt of Bowman Road said allowing the resort to be built would fail to honor the DNR's basic tenet of protecting the natural beauty. He said the Upper Dells was lost forever when it went underwater because of the dam.
"It's like getting another city in our area," said Anita Nelson, of Newport. A developer looks at his pocketbook, and the DNR needs to protect the natural beauty.
"I hope this isn't a done deal," said Mary Larson of Lake Delton. She asked for assurance that it was not.
Pam Biersach, aquatic habitat coordinator for the DNR's South Central Region, told Larson that the purpose of the public hearing was to get information and that information would be taken back and made part of the record.
Comments will still be accepted on the permit and should be sent to Dan Hunt, Horicon Flyway Service Center, N7725 Highway 28, Horicon, WI 53032. Biersach said the deadline for comments was Jan. 3, but Hunt said he would be out of the office until Jan. 7. After that, the DNR has 30 days to make a decision, Biersach said. Then people have 30 days to appeal the DNR's decision on the permit.
