OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – A building proposal in Oshkosh has been delayed amid concerns from area residents. The city council unanimously decided Tuesday to hold off on making a decision until a neighborhood meeting is held.
Still, neighbors of the site feel the city should look into other locations for the project.
“This development doesn’t fit in with the whole neighborhood,” Oshkosh resident James Rescheske said. “It’s an eyesore. We’re not against development, but what we want to see is 1-2-3-4 family units in there that more blends in with the neighborhood.”
Rescheske was prepared to share his disapproval with the city. Oshkosh City Manager Mark Rohloff said Rescheske and others will still get that chance.
“I really don’t think that the issues they are raising are well founded, but that’s why we go through this process,” Rohloff said.
Members of the public brought forward several issues that would come as a result of construction.
“It’s in our backyards,” Rescheske said. “We can see this, we’ll be able to hear it. You got lights, you got extra traffic. And none of that’s been taken into consideration for the sake of tax revenue.”
One reason the city ultimately picked the spot as a potential building site was because of the large area and the need for housing.
“Between now and 2030, the city of Oshkosh is going to need about 1,700 new units of housing,” Rohloff said. “So, this is filling a need that genuinely exists in Oshkosh.”
Rohloff said those factors make the area by Lake Butte Des Morts an ideal one.
“Very close to Highway 41. So, regardless of where you work — whether you are needing to go south to Fond Du Lac, north to Neenah, Menasha, Appleton or right here in Oshkosh — it’s a very accessible housing development,” Rohloff said.
Rescheske disagrees.
“Put it somewhere else in the city,” Rescheske said. “There’s a lot of great places for this around the city that aren’t on pristine, lake frontage.”
Council discussion and public input will be placed on the council agenda for the April 11 meeting.
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