December 7, 2005

Bringing back the buffalo is just part of Osborne Park`s master plan

Tim Engelhardt, Director of Clayton County Conservation recently addressed many questions concerning Osborne Park in the "Osborne Oracle" newsletter for his organization. The park, located five miles south of Elkader, was once a home to many buffalo and elk. In May of 2005, all animals were sold to local farmers. Since then, Engelhardt said that they have received many questions about the future of the park. Mainly asking, will the animals be back?

Osborne Park is located along the Volga River and has experienced recent ongoing flooding issues which led to the removal of the animals and their pens. Engelhardt said that they do have plans to bring the buffalo back to the park in the future, but elk are not part of those plans. In the "Osborne Oracle," he states the reason for this being that the buffalo and elk did not get along in the same pen. He said that the "reason is simply safety for the animals."

Engelhardt explained that the area that will hopefully house the buffalo in the future is now in the CRP program. "The CRP contract is set to expire in 2007, so that would be the earliest we could start construction of the pens," said Engelhardt. The proposed area for the buffalo sits on a hill behind Osborne Pond, which will keep it above the flood plain.

The plan to move the bison to higher ground is part of a master plan for Osborne Park. In October, Dunbar/Jones Landscape Architecture and Planning completed a master plan for the park. This plan includes expanding the campground, moving it behind the pond near the future buffalo pens, as well as expanding it to include 35 RV sites, a shower house, dump station and a developed trail system.

The master plan also includes changes for the welcome center and shop area. These plans call for replacing the shop, expanding the parking lot and building a new maintenance yard. Engelhardt said that by doing this, it will allow for separation between the public traffic flow and the maintenance area. He also said that this new plan will open up the view to the new animal exhibit and increase access to that area for the public.

Long-range plans for the future of the park include developing ten rental cabins near the archery range. Engelhardt said that this plan may not begin for ten to 15 years, while reminding that all projects will take time and ongoing planning, as well as money. Clayton County Conservation is currently looking into a variety of grant funding to help pay for these projects.

New alternative for Upper Mississippi Refuge plan involves major changes

Lower Bottoms, Horseshoe Lake area to have flip-flop hunting seasons

A new preferred alternative for the Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Impact Statement for the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge has been released for a 60-day public review and comment period the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced.

Refuge Manager Don Hultman said the new alternative is being issued as a supplement to the draft CCP and EIS released in May, 2005 and is currently available on the Service's planning website, in refuge district offices, and in community libraries. An executive summary of the supplement is being mailed to more than 4,000 citizens and groups and delivery can be expected over the next several days. The executive summary contains background information, a summary of major changes reflected in the new alternative, a series of tables for comparing and contrasting alternatives, and 12 fold-out pool maps showing the alternative features.

Hultman said the new alternative, known as "Alternative E: Modified Wildlife and Integrated Public Use Focus," contains several major changes as a result of public, conservation group, and agency input received in writing or during public meetings and workshops earlier this year. "We had 2,900 people take part in 11 public information meetings and ten public workshops," he said. "The workshops alone generated 87 group reports with recommendations on the most controversial issues, and we received more than 2,400 written comments."

The major changes include:

*Dropping three of six proposed No Hunting Zones around public use facilities.

*Changes to boundaries in several proposed Waterfowl Hunting Closed Areas.

*Dropping the "no fishing, no motors" provision for Waterfowl Hunting Closed Areas in favor of "Voluntary Avoidance" for large areas and "No Motors and Voluntary Avoidance" for small areas, with restrictions taking effect Oct. 15 versus Oct. 1 each year to extend fall fishing.

*Dropping the 25 shotshell daily limit and 100-yard spacing regulations for waterfowl hunting, although the existing 200-yard spacing for blinds or parties in Illinois will remain.

*Dropping the fee managed hunt proposal for the Gibbs Lake Area of Lake Onalaska in Pool 7 in favor of devising a plan with waterfowlers.

*Reducing the number of Electric Motor Areas from 17 to six, but adding eight Slow, No Wake Areas where from March 16 to Oct. 31 each year watercraft must go slow and no airboats or hovercraft are permitted.

*Dropping the restrictions on areas open to camping and proposed alcohol and human waste regulations, but adding a new regulation prohibiting glass containers.

*Dropping the proposal for a launch fee at refuge-administered boat ramps.

For Prairie du Chien area residents, the major controversial issue in Alternative D, the former preferred alternative, which involved a proposed closed hunting area in what is commonly referred to as the Lower Bottoms, a 1,376-acre area just downstream from the Prairie du Chien wastewater treatment facility and upstream from the Wisconsin River delta. The original proposal called for closing the Lower Bottoms to all hunting and fishing from Oct. 1 to the end of the waterfowl hunting season. The original proposal also called for no motors from Oct. 1 to the end of the waterfowl season.

Cathy Henry, the acting district manager for the McGregor District of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said that the new preferred alternative, "Alternative E" would allow for open hunting in the Lower Bottoms from the start of the waterfowl season until Oct. 31. The Lower Bottoms would then be closed to hunting from Nov. 1 until the end of the waterfowl season. In addition, Henry said that the Lower Bottoms would be a "voluntary avoidance" area for boat motors from Nov. 1 until the end of the waterfowl hunting season. This means that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would ask people to avoid running a boat motor in the Lower Bottoms during this time but that doing so would be legal, Henry said.

Also as part of Alternative E, Henry said that an 852-acre area downstream and upstream from the Highway 18 Bridge, which encompasses an area commonly referred to as "Horseshoe Lake" would be closed to waterfowl hunting from the start of the waterfowl season until Oct. 31. This area would be open to waterfowl hunting from Nov. 1 until the end of the season. Because this area is smaller than 1,000 acres, the area will be closed to boat motor use during the no-hunting period but will be open for non-motorized vessels such as canoes. For safety, reasons, a smaller area surrounding a hiking trail will be a permanent no hunting zone.

Don Hultman said comments on the new alternative will be accepted through Feb. 3, 2006. In January, the refuge will host nine open houses at communities along the river where the public may view large maps, talk with refuge staff, and offer comments and suggestions.

Specific sites for the open houses are being identified and will be announced when known. Communities and dates for the open houses are listed below. All open houses will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. except the Saturday open house in Onalaska which will be 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

*Stoddard, Tuesday, Jan. 3.

*La Crescent, Minn., Thursday, Jan. 5.

*Onalaska, Saturday, Jan. 7.

*Lansing, Iowa, Monday, Jan. 9.

*Prairie du Chien, Tuesday, Jan. 10.

*Savanna, Ill. Tuesday, Jan. 17.

*Dubuque, Iowa Wednesday, Jan. 18.

*Winona, Minn. Monday, Jan. 23.

*Wabasha, Minn. Tuesday, Jan. 24.

Hultman said the supplement does not represent the final changes to the full draft CCP and EIS. "Comments received during the first 120-day comment period, along with comments received on this supplement, will all be considered when preparing the final CCP and EIS. People do not need to resubmit their earlier comments and can focus on the new alternative if they wish," he said.

Hultman said they are hoping to have a final CCP and EIS completed by spring, 2006. The final plan will be released to the public and there will be a 30-day waiting period before a record of decision is signed and the plan becomes truly "final."

Copies of the executive summary and full supplement, along with the full draft CCP and EIS, can be viewed on the Internet at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Planning website at www.fws.gov/midwest/planning/uppermiss/. The documents can also be viewed at 52 public libraries in communities near the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, or at refuge district offices in Savanna, Ill., McGregor, Iowa, La Crosse, and Winona, Minn. For assistance, persons may call the refuge at (507) 452-4232, or leave a message at the toll-free number (888) 291-5719.

PdC City Council discusses new parking ordinances, 'Droppin of the Carp'

The Prairie du Chien City Council met Tuesday evening with new City Administrator, Gordon Gallagher, in attendance.

Several members of the community were present for the twenty-first item on the agenda, which was the Personnel, License & Insurance Committee Report on application for "Droppin of the Carp" activity request for St. Feriole Island.

Tom Nelsen represented the group and addressed a complaint that the committee had received concerning the closure of a portion of Blackhawk Avenue during the event on New Year's Eve. Nelsen reported that they had worked out an agreement with the individual. No further action was taken.

Other business at the meeting was an ordinance that will restrict parking on the south side of Crawford Street from Dousman Street to State Street and on the east side of State Street that abuts those premises owned by the Prairie du Chien Area School District. These areas will be zones no parking between the hours of 7:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. during the days when school is in session.

There was also an ordinance passed that will restrict parking on portions of Blackhawk Avenue and North Wacouta Avenue, as well as Blackhawk Avenue and Michigan Street.

The council also discussed the 2006 salary ordinance for certain city officers and employees of the City of Prairie du Chien.

December 5, 2005

Gordon Gallagher ready for challenge of new position

Gordon Gallagher began his duties as Prairie du Chien's City Administrator last Monday, November 28. Though stepping into a big role in an unfamiliar community, Gallagher seems quite comfortable and relaxed. He and his wife, Tamela, along with their two children, moved to Prairie du Chien on Monday, Nov. 21. Their daughter, Padley, is ten and son, Prescott is eight years old. "Everyone has been so nice to us since we moved here," said Gallagher, referring both to the staff and students at Bluff View, where his children are enrolled, and to the community of Prairie du Chien itself.

Gallagher was born and raised in the Chicago area, but moved to Northern Michigan for his senior year of high school. From there, he went on to earn a degree in Business Administration from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. Though receiving a degree in marketing, Gallagher said that it was the political science classes that called him back every semester. "They just always really interested me," said Gallagher.

After graduation, his degree and extra classes in political science seemed to come in quite handy. He was appointed to the planning commission for a township in northern Michigan when the township clerk resigned. The job fell into Gallagher's hands, and he held the clerk position for the next eight years. During those years, Gallagher became certified in property tax assessing, received his EMT license and met who he called the "love of his life," Tamela.

After marrying, the couple moved around to a few communities in Michigan before settling in Saugatuck, where Gallagher served as the city manager for almost seven years.

Now, Gallagher is ready to take on the challenges of a position that hasn't been replaced in 26 years. "They are going to be hard shoes to fill," said Gallagher referring to replacement of Gary Koch. "It will be different for people ‹ but in a good way."

Koch will be working at city hall for the remainder of the year, which gives the two men four weeks to work together. "It's really nice that he's here," said Gallagher. "The learning curve is much quicker [with Gary here], and coming Œup to speed' with things will be much faster."

Gallagher said that one of his first challenges will be meeting as many people as possible in a short period of time. He also talked about some of his many longer-term goals for the position such as increasing the economic development for the community by providing better paying jobs with excellent benefits while keeping the cost of service down. "That will be a challenge ‹ but that is my job," said Gallagher.

He also made several references to the goal of increasing citizens' involvement in the community in the form of volunteerisim. "This is everyone's community," he said, explaining that everyone should take part in making it a better place.

In his spare time, Gallagher said that he enjoys spending time with his kids and doing things as a family. He ranks card playing and camping as two of their favorite family activities. Gallagher also admits that in his free time he's a very competitive racketball player.

Fittingly, Gallagher said that volunteerism and community service have also always been hobbies of his.

This new city administrator also emphasized that one of the great things about Prairie du Chien city officials is that they are accessible and available most all of the time. He encourages the public to stop at city hall to say hi, ask a question, or even better, give a compliment.

Subdivisions growing in Marquette and McGregor

More and more new houses are sprouting out of rural farm fields on the bluffs above Marquette and McGregor. Hemmed in by river and bluffs, the towns do not have much room to grow. "If people want to build, they're going to have to go into rural areas," noted Clayton County Supervisor Bob Walke.

Subdivisions aren't exactly new to the area, but they are a growing business. Currently, two new housing subdivisions are on the drawing board: the well-known River Bluffs, (now known as Highland Bluffs) development above McGregor, and Pleasant Ridge, planned for a bluff top location above Marquette. Breezy Pointe, a development located off Hwy.18 near the Highland Bluffs site, also continues to grow. Counting all of the lots in all of these developments, some of which have been sold and built on already, plus the 400-unit condo planned for Highland Bluffs, a potential for about 818 new households exists. That is a significant amount of growth for the area surrounding two towns with populations under 1,000.

Bill Burke, owner of Burke Construction, brought his family to McGregor in 1970 when he bought the Daubenberger Lumberyard. Then he bought 40 acres from Dr. Strutt in a northwest neighborhood of town and created a small subdivision called Tanglewood. After Tanglewood, not much housing growth occurred in the area for about 20 years. Then the city of McGregor jumped into the development business with the creation of Ridgewood West in 1989. The first house there was completed in 1996.

The homes at Ridgewood West occupy a narrow bluff across the road from the Pleasant Ridge cemetery on property annexed by the city of McGregor. The site can boast impressive views and rural peace and quiet. The development began with 25 lots and expanded to 40. Currently only three lots remain to be sold. But while Ridgewood has become a success story, the city had to take a measured risk to create the development.

"What was amazing was to have a council and a mayor to support the project," said McGregor city clerk, Norm Lincoln, of the project. He said that the city could not find a developer interested in the property, so the city had to create a $543,000 TIF bonding district to finance the construction of a well, sewer and water lines, other utilities and roads. With such costs, has the development still created income for the city? "Absolutely," Lincoln asserts, noting that the taxable value of the developed area was $2.7 million at the end of 2004. Lots sell for an average of $14,000; the city's goal was to keep them affordable. An addition to the development is on the drawing board that will add 34 more lots on property south of the subdivision. The city expects to begin work on the addition within about one to two years.

Currently the homes of Pleasant Ridge are only a rough plan on paper. The development will be located on land just off of Pleasant Ridge Road (Hwy. B45) a few miles northwest of Marquette, which the city recently annexed. The city is working on an urban renewal district in order to facilitate TIF bonding to finance the infrastructure for a 75 to 80 lot development. Robin Denning of McGregor will act as developer. There is talk of including enough green space in the development to allow for horse pasture and trails that could attract horse-minded buyers. Public hearings on the urban renewal plan will be held on December 20.

Highland Bluffs, formerly River Bluffs, will be the most distinctive new development. The name was recently changed at the suggestion of developer's marketing firm to reflect the fact that the development does not overlook the river. The housing at the site will be more upscale than other subdivisions, and will attract a large percentage of buyers that will use their property as a second home rather than as a primary residence. According to Denise Schneider, administrative assistant for housing at Highland Bluffs, only a limited number of lots will be available for sale and the rest will be developed by Highland Bluffs. The company is not ready to release the selling price estimates for their properties, but say they will soon. The final plat for the development is now scheduled to go before the Planning and Zoning Board on December 15.

Breezy Pointe is Bill Burke and his wife Anne's current project. The development is located on the former Johanningmeier farm on the north side of Hwy. 18 just a few miles west of Marquette. It began with the creation of the Diamond Eagle Village Mobile Home Park about ten years ago. On the adjacent 20 lots of Breezy Pointe that have been developed, Burke has mostly put up manufactured spec homes that he has sold to buyers with the lot. The average price of a house and lot is $140,000, Burke noted. There are an additional 110 lots platted for the development, from one-quarter to 12 acres in size. Burke characterizes his development as "bread and butter." He works hands-on with subcontractors to put up the houses on full basements. Burke feels that manufactured homes allow them to offer their customers a quality product at an affordable price, although buyers can opt for conventional construction if they choose.

Who is buying the new homes? Burke says that many of his customers are first and last home buyers. Both Lincoln and Burke note that many buyers come from Wisconsin, as home prices and property taxes are often cheaper in Iowa. Retirees come from all over the country, but mostly adjoining states. Parents with families are often employed in area businesses such as Cabelas and WalMart. "I always say that one of the greatest things to see are the kids [from the new developments] getting on the bus, " Lincoln noted.

While schools welcome new students to beef up declining enrollment and cities and counties are eager for increased tax revenue, development unchecked can look more like ugly suburban sprawl than healthy growth, some contend. In a report published by the Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station entitled "Life in Small Towns Becoming More Suburban," anthropologist Sonya Salamon says that subdivision growth can alter the character of small towns, and not always for the better. Newcomers who do not live within the central community core can be isolated from both their town dwelling and rural neighbors, and tend to participate less in community life. Continued rural subdivision growth brings with it a host of challenges that affect both the social and physical environments. Addressing those challenges has already become part of the task of the Clayton County Board of Supervisors.

The Clayton County Board of Supervisors recently passed a revised subdivision development ordinance in late October that tidied up the old ordinance. According to Supervisor Bob Walke, the issue was brought to the forefront when the River Bluffs development was challenged by the Concerned Citizens group. "A lot of things were duplications, we just cleaned it up," Walke said. "There's been a lot of discussion about rewriting the whole planning and zoning ordinance," he added. Allamakee and Dubuque counties have recently rewritten their ordinances, Walke noted. He said that instead of spending $25,000 on a consultant to rewrite the Clayton County ordinance, the county could look at neighboring county ordinances as "boilerplate," and then customize it for Clayton County. Such a process could take two to three years, Walke said.

Gays Mills Flood Pictures g Soldiers Grove Flood Pictures g Steuben flood pictures on this link

December 7, 2005

December 5, 2005