Supervisors Refuse State Plan - 
Smart growth told 'No go' in Langlade County, Wisconsin

April 15, 2003

By Fred Berner
Antigo Daily Journal
612 Superior Street
Antigo, WI 54409
715-623-4191
Fax: 715-623-4193

Fred Berner   adj@newnorth.net

http://www.webmediainc.com/54409ADJ/AntigoDailyJournal.taf?function=FrontPage

To submit a Letter to the Editor: adj@newnorth.net

Langlade county board supervisors decided today that sometimes free money
isn't the best money.

On a 15-6 vote, supervisors rejected a $234,000 comprehensive planning grant
from the Wisconsin Department of Administration, suggesting that the dollars
might commit the county to an uncomfortable marriage to the program known as
'Smart Growth.'

"Sometimes free money isn't quite as free as it looks," Supervisor Richard
Olsen said.

In favor of accepting the grant, which would have provided reimbursement to
the county and town involved in comprehensive planning, were John Kriha, Jack
Marciniak, Pat McKinney, Paul Schuman, Gene Jacobus and Donald Wirth.

Rejecting the grant doesn't automatically end planning efforts.

Corporation Counsel Robin Stowe said that the county, or individual
townships, could apply for the funds in the future. If the county had
accepted the grant, and then returned the money, it would not have been
eligible to apply for future dollars.

"I think it is wise to reject it and see what happens at the state level,"
Olsen said. "It may turn out [that] this thing goes up in smoke."

But Jacobus said the county is refusing money that towns interested in
planning, need. Right now, 10 of the county's 17 towns have expressed an
interest in participating. Seven other towns have either rejected the program
or pulled out later.

"You're going to take away that planning grant money for probably 10 of the
towns," Jacobus said.  "Right now it is sitting there and all we have to do
is approve it and they can use it. Let's let the towns that want to do
planning, do planning."

Preliminary work on comprehensive planning dates [back] to 2001, when
volunteers and government officials began meeting to bring order to planning
chaos through a state statute that requires communities to adopt a
comprehensive plan by 2010 in order to engage in land use and create zoning
regulations.

The program raised questions over the rights of property owners versus the
regulatory arm of the state and questions have been raised over dozens of
ambiguities, such as how the new plans would affect existing zoning
regulations and whether towns without plans in place can regulate use.

An April 1 forum on the issue drew over 200 people to the multi-purpose
building at the fairgrounds and the sentiments were almost universal -- don't
tell us what to do on our own land.

©Copyright 2000 Antigo Daily Journal
Antigo Daily Journal
612 Superior Street
Antigo, WI 54409
715-623-4191
Fax: 715-623-4193

Fred Berner
adj@newnorth.net

http://www.webmediainc.com/54409ADJ/AntigoDailyJournal.taf?function=Sections&D