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<<2007 News Index 2008: July, June, April, March, February Natural Resources Board approves major mercury reduction rule—On June 25th, the Natural Resources Board gave the nod to a new mercury rule that aims to slash the amount of mercury released into the atmosphere from Wisconsin coal fired power plants by 90%. Coal fired power plants are the largest source of mercury, which is a released when coal is burned to generate electricity. Mercury settles into inland waters as it floats back down to earth, and as it mixes with rain and snow to wash into our lakes and rivers. Much of this mercury is converted by bacteria in the soil and sediment into its toxic form, methylmercury. Methylmercury is easily absorbable by animals and works up the food chain becoming more and more concentrated as it progresses to larger species. Mercury levels in Wisconsin fish have necessitated a statewide fish advisory warning for all inland waters that urges consumers--especially children and women of childbearing age--to limit consumption of fish such as walleye or northern which tend to have higher levels of mercury.The rule would target emissions from utilities and offers two options for meeting the 90% reduction requirement. Under the first option, which targets only mercury, coal fired power plants have until 2015 to meet the 90% reduction. The second option gives a longer window for meeting the mercury reduction (2021), but also requires dramatic reductions in sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide. Mercury, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxide are the three pollutants most responsible for smog and fish consumption advisories. The administrative rule now progresses to the legislature, where it may pass or environmental committee chairs may call for additional public hearings or request further changes to the rule requirements. Keep Green Lake Free From Hazardous Waste! If you have unwanted agricultural or household hazardous waste, now is the time to register for Green Lake County's Clean Sweep. Clean Sweep provides an opportunity to dispose of unwanted and unused agricultural and household chemicals in an environmentally friendly manner. All Green Lake County residents and landowners may participate. Registration is required by August 1. Disposal is free. Visit Green Lake County's website for detailed information. July 10, 2008—In the wake of the devastating rains of late June, many restoration plantings on shorelines/ slopes around the lake have been eroded. RSVP is prepared to assist as we are able, prioritizing projects based on erosion severity, project size, and the stabilzation methodology before committing funding. July 1, 2008—Can't keep up with this year's updates regarding the Estates of Lawsonia development? GLA's JACLUM Chair, Steve Wood, provides GLA annual meeting attendees with a complete year to date summary. Read the summary June 17, 2008—Flooding in Green Lake
June 10, 2008—At a meeting of the Green Lake County Land Use Planning and Zoning (“LUPZ”) Committee held on Wednesday, June 4, 2008, the Committee denied several requests made by the Green Lake Conference Center (“GLCC”) and Lindenwood Development, LLC for the rezoning of certain parcels of the Conference Center property to facilitate their proposed development of the Estates of Lawsonia. The Committee also deferred approval of the preliminary plat plan for a period of 90 to 120 days. Read GLA's Lawsonia Estates Development Update April 24, 2008—ABA residents, Developer Spar Over Tree Cutting. Private homeowners from the Green Lake Conference Center are calling into question the actions of Lindenwood Development, saying the firm is not following proper procedure as it begins removing trees from a proposed subdivision. Read More April 24, 2008—Annexation Tossed, but Housing Debate Prevails. The annexation petition is dead. The Green Lake Conference Center — along with land slated for development — will stay in the town of Brooklyn. After more than six months of meetings, discussions, fact-gathering and rumors, the city of Green Lake has decided to drop the annexation and recoup its remaining costs. Read More April 22, 2008—GLA's 2nd Green Lake Conference Development Summary. Read More April 17, 2008—City Tells Annexation Petitioners to Pay Up. After heated discussion, the Common Council voted to seek reimbursement of all the city’s expenses, regardless of whether the city annexes the 900-plus-acre property. Read More April 10, 2008—City, Developer Clash on Annexation's Legality. A housing developer and the Green Lake Conference Center are stepping up efforts to have the city of Green Lake release the annexation request, calling their own petition defective. Read More March 25, 2008—GLA's 1st Summary Update Regarding the Proposed Green Lake Conference Center Development. The purpose of this Update is to summarize certain recent developments that significantly affect the proposed Estates of Lawsonia subdivision and the related petition to annex approximately 900 acres of Green Lake Conference Center (“GLCC”) property to the City of Green Lake. March 18, 2008—Developer, Green Lake Conference Center Withdraw Annexation Request. In a surprise move, Lindenwood Development and the Green Lake Conference Center have withdrawn their request to annex land from the town of Brooklyn to the city of Green Lake.They had wanted the annexation to pave the way for the development of Estates of Lawsonia, a luxury subdivision on the grounds of the Christian retreat on the shores of Big Green Lake. Read Entire Article March 10, 2008—The Green Lake Sanitary District Enters Into An Agreement with the City of Green Lake to Establish a Cooperative Program for Water Quality Protection in the Proposed Lindenwood Development. The Green Lake Sanitary District, one of Green Lake Association's partners, has entered into an agreement with the City of Green Lake to establish a cooperative program for the water quality protection and for the transportation and treatment of wastewater on lands owned by the ABA, Lawsonia, and Lindenwood. This agreement sets forth the terms and conditions pursuant to which the District and the City will establish a boundary separating their respective Sewer Service Areas in the portion of the District located North of Big Green Lake, provides for the transport and treatment of wastewater generated within the Territory and provide for the cooperative wastewater and stormwater management, erosion, and runoff control and water quality programs by the City and the District in order to protect and enhance Big Green Lake and its tributary waterways. This agreement will help protect the integrity of local ordinances, which in turn will help protect the integrity of Big Green Lake. February 20, 2008—JACLUM Meets with Lindenwood Representatives to Discuss Environmental Issues Surrounding Proposed Development. Since submitting GLA's Position Statement to the City of Green Lake (the “City”) regarding the pending petition for annexation, the Joint Advisory Committee on Land Use Matters (JACLUM) met with representatives of Lindenwood to assure to the extent possible that land development proposals in the Green Lake area are undertaken in a responsible and environmentally sensible manner. There then ensued a general discussion of the proposed development with an emphasis on environmental issues. The members of JACLUM provided examples of how we have been able to make environmental enhancements to other recent development plans and how we could possibly provide such enhancements to the plans for Lawsonia Estates. Read Entire Supplemental Statement February 6, 2008—GLA Submits Position Statement to the City of Green Lake Common Council Regarding the Pending Petition to Annex Portions of the Green Lake Conference Center. As the City of Green Lake continues to consider the annexation petition, the GLA is of the opinion that there are a number of critical environmental, safety and other compelling issues that you should bear in mind to assure that the development plans being proposed by the GLCC and Lindenwood on the property for which they seek annexation to the City will in fact be “[well] planned and orderly”. Moreover, we most emphatically recommend that these issues be addressed in an Annexation Agreement to be entered into between the City and the developers prior to completion of the proposed annexation. The purpose of this Statement is to summarize these issues. Read GLA's Entire Position Statement |