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3/8/2007
Appleton West expansion goes down hard
The Appleton Common Council voted 12 – 3 against building a new sports complex for the city’s oldest and most land-locked high school during a Council meeting that went to after 11:00 Wednesday evening.
Alderperson Jeff Jirschele said the “issue went down. Hard.” Jirschele, via his seat on the Plan Commission, pushed the city and school district for more information and public input these last several months. He has, in the process, strongly and consistently objected to the use of eminent domain to buy out unwilling homeowners in the path of any expansion.
Jirschele commented that last night’s discussion was tense at some points and very far-ranging. He observed that many opposing expansion of West outdoor facilities viewed the issue in terms of how the school district and board were spending their money. He judged that opposition to the project “became more of a statement about school system priorities and objectives than about the project’s impact on the city and the neighborhood.” It was believed by some that Sports Complex supporters and the school district may have underestimated the public’s current depth of feeling about overall taxes and expenditures.
A letter from School Board President Sharon Fenlon apparently arrived in some alderperson’s mailboxes only hours before the common council meeting. It committed that the “sitting” school board would not use eminent domain to acquire properties where homeowners are unwilling to sell.
The mayor maintained (correctly, I believe) that the issue was simply and narrowly land use. Alderperson Jirschele agreed, stating the essence of the issue was that the “land was already in use” and the Council’s decision should be based on the wisdom of “trading one use for another… [and] to understand the price attached to that.”
The three votes in favor of expansion of the land-locked school’s outdoor facilities included Alderpersons Jirschele, Clemons and Stueck. As observed by Jirschele, “the project is in limbo.” It remains to be seen what supporters will do now and whether or not the school board will go ahead without the blessings of the city.
COMMENTS
This was a poorly presented proposal and the Council did the right thing. If the School Board did not intend to use eminent domain they should have made that clear in June. If they had the proposal would not have gone forward.It may well be that the "present Board" could promise to not invoke eminent domain but they can rely on a future Board to do their dirty work.To violate one person's property rights is to diminish everyones property rights.
The School Board should now step forward and reimburse the four property owners for their legal fees.
Ron

Ron (Thu Mar 08 09:09:07 2007)
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