A pot simmering on the back burner: much to do about the future of Gotham Park

If you follow city news you may have been tracking with the
ongoing discussion regarding the development of Gotham Park. At times, I personally liken that discussion to a pot on the stove on low heat that from time to time boils over. So, what's the big deal?

In 1993 the Gotham family donated the grassy field across the street from Phillips Park for the development of a future park. Since 2016 a small portion of that field has been loaned indefinitely to the City of Chetek Dog Park group which privately maintains that section of the park. With the exception of one Liberty Fest where it was used for a horse pull the only real use the field gets is to serve as a parking area for the Fishy Four and other events which occur at Phillips Park and City Beach. Otherwise it retains the same identity its had since the land was gifted to the city back in the twentieth century – an open, undeveloped field.

NOT drawn to scale

Early in 2023, the Parks and Rec Committee approached the council hoping to secure funding for a design layout of a future sports complex created by Rettler Corporation. The price tag for that study was $3,800 and while there was a lot of discussion about it the council ultimately voted to approve funding for the development of such a design. I recall at least two virtual meetings with representatives from Rettler who first wanted to hear our “wish list” if money was no object. So we gave it to them: a softball field (where the current Dog Park currently is), basketball courts, pickleball and tennis courts. By the second meeting we surrendered the softball field mainly on account of lack of parking and its proximity to residential homes. So Rettler drew us up a premier design that was real beautiful but real pricey as well: it was north of $1.3 million dollars!

Clearly, that was a non-starter. But the Chetek Pickleball Club, which in the last year or so has been an active voice for the development of this park, determined to literally go back to the drawing board and see what could be pared down to a much more “doable” and affordable project. With the generous help of Mark Etten, a retired engineer, they presented a new plan that would be one acre large and include two basketball courts, a tennis court and six pickleball courts along with parking, fencing and the like. They figured the entire project would run $235K. That's a significant reduction in our original plan.

This is the plan we're now working with

In the meantime, on account of the 2022 audit, the city suddenly had unexpected dollars to allocate to certain projects and very quickly Gotham Park assumed center stage of that discussion. Personally I suggested setting aside $100K for the project. Others on the council, however, were more comfortable with $75,000 earmarked for Gotham Park if the Chetek Pickleballers were unable to raise all the monies needed. As the minutes reflect that discussion was very long with at least Third Ward Alderman Terry Hight asserting that before we spent a nickle more we had to hear from the taxpayers via referendum whether to move forward on this venture. At the November 2023 meeting, the majority of the council chose, however, to “park” that $75,000 in the park outlay pending fund raising developments.

We made the news!

(Check out this link)

I'm painting in broad strokes, of course, the history of this most recent venture. Since setting aside that money in a parks outlay at that November meeting, this matter has been returned to again and again. And then two weeks ago, the majority of the council reversed their decision of November 2023 voting 3-1 (with First Ward Alderman Bachowski voting no) that a spring referendum (i.e., April 2025) on the matter was preferred before moving forward on the park's development. 

Here's an image of the Moon Lake Pickleball
Courts in Rice Lake

Every council member involved would tell you that they are “for” the development of such a park. While I may be accused of being Pollyannaish, I don't believe there is an enemy to flush out and wage battle against. To me the devil is in the details; i.e., when to do it and how to pay for it. While the mayor's opinion really doesn't matter unless there is a deadlock, personally I'm for developing the park now given the fact that all things are looking that the Knapp Street Development (once whimsically referred to as “Area 51”) is inching closer to becoming a reality. Once Swiderski breaks ground sometime in 2025 they are on the clock and per their agreement the development will be completed by 2027. If there are unforeseen construction delays, the tax revenues that will be generated from this development will stay due whether they are done or not. That means potentially there could be up to 500 more people living in our community a few years out from now. I think we should start planning now to give them one more reason to relocate here.

The plant is taking shape out there

Of course, the backdrop for all of this is the construction of  the new
Waste Water Treatment Plant (approximately $16 million dollars) and the new water tower (between $2-3 million dollars). Admittedly, that's a lot of zeroes in a town our size and we all recognize that our water and sewer bills have gone up. It makes people nervous and, maybe, downright perplexed whether they can make it given the current nationwide economic conditions. I would just remind everyone of this: these two ventures are once-in-a-generation projects. Call it bad luck, call it what you will but when the DNR says you shall, you shall. And this council should be commended for not kicking the can down the road any further with regards to the shortcomings of our current water stand. What people need to be reminded as well is that both projects are in the Tax Increment District which means the TID will help pay for both of them. So if you can get a park for $75,000 I think that's a fabulous deal given the economic constraints were working with. 

The Chetek Pickleballers, members of the Parks and Rec committee and myself were deflated following August's council meeting. It was a bitter pill to swallow. Frankly, if we couldn't pass a safety referendum this past spring to add an additional police officer and public works employee I don't have a lot of faith that a referendum to develop Gotham Park has a prayer. Having said that it would be a “one-time” deal. It would not require $75,000 a year to maintain the thing. The money is already “there” if the public were to give a thumb's up for the project. Not to be deterred, the Chetek Pickleballers have taken a can-do approach and are currently soliciting funds for the park's development. I'm hoping that they will be wildly successful. Having a sports facility as is proposed would be a great asset for our community as well as to those who visit us. Frankly, I feel it's a win-win-win: good for us, good for our guests and a statement affirming that the future of our city looks very promising.

To be or not to be remains the question
we all have to answer