Public Informational Meeting - May 4, 2010 7 PM @ the Muskego High School
Audio Recording
One of the main recommendations of the new 2020 Comprehensive Plan was to try and encourage “Bringing Back The Lake” to the community. The 2020 Plan specifically states the following
here. The 2020 Plan found that there is no direct access or views to Little Muskego Lake from the downtown and Janesville Road and that future lake accesses and view sheds will hopefully bring the lake back into the community and create new opportunities for residents and visitors to enjoy an original amenity that Muskego has for so long been based upon.
This past year, District 4 Alderman Keith Werner personally pursued the “Bring Back The Lake” recommendation from the 2020 Comprehensive Plan. During Alderman Werner’s attempt to fulfill this goal he came across discussions with local lake landowners that own approximately 12 acres north of Pioneer Drive along Janesville Road. The lots combine to incorporate over 1000 feet of Little Muskego Lake frontage. Some of these parcels actually were a part of the original Muskego Beach & Dandilion Park that once existed along the south side of the Lake (
http://www.muskegohistory.org/DandeLionPark.aspx). Alderman Werner and the area property owners have agreed that these properties could be a great place for a new open space in the Muskego community and the owners are open to working with the City to create a new lakefront park that may be intermingled with mixed-use development along the Janesville Road frontage.
The Planning Commission reviewed the Bring Back The Lake concept at their February 2010 meeting with Alderman Werner and found that the concept may be an opportunity that is limited and only comes around once. During the formulation of the 2020 Plan it was found that the 2020 Comp Plan Committee members could honestly say that they didn’t think the “Bring Back the Lake” recommendation would come to a possibility in such short time. The 2020 Planning discussions envisioned that Muskego should try and create a lakefront place that passersby from Janesville Road and the downtown could finally see the lake again. Further, that this lakefront space could be utilized for community gatherings and events in order to have a destination for residents and visitors alike to enjoy one of Muskego’s amenities the community has always been based upon, but never seen by the general public.
This is truly an opportunity to put Muskego back on the map as a lake community that future development can build upon and the southeastern WI region talks about. Muskego has always struggled with an identity to our downtown and such a development may be the key for the community to build from.