Renard Island. PC: Fox 11 Online
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Staff from the city of Green Bay and Brown County revisited discussions Wednesday about access to Renard Island, which is just off Bay Beach.
It’s been more than a decade since the city and county first had this conversation.
City and county staff worked out a deal on a permanent 30-foot-wide maintenance access easement. On Wednesday night, Green Bay’s Parks Committee voted to approve the easement. However, it still needs to go in front of the City Council and County Board.
“We both agreed that at this point, let’s just proceed with a maintenance easement. I mean, that’s what they’re utilizing that property for right now,” said Dan Ditscheit, city of Green Bay parks director.
Currently, to perform maintenance, the county has to jump through hoops to get to the Renard Island property.
“It gives them kind of legal approvals to kind of enter the causeway and do the work that they need to do on the island without having to ask us repeatedly to come onto the property,” said Ditscheit.
The county still plans on the island being for public use. However, the easement access will need to be addressed again when they’re ready to do so.
“If at any time the county wants to open up the island to the public, we can revisit the issue of whether or not the city would grant public access off of our property leading to the causeway,” said Ditscheit.
The city’s biggest concern is it simply can’t be certain of what the county will build on the island. The county passed a 2019 master plan calling for a boardwalk, marina. fishing pier and walking trails.
Ditscheit said the city doesn’t believe the master plan would compete with Bay Beach Amusement Park.
“Because they don’t have any funding set aside to actually develop the island, it’s really hard for us to say whether or not we’re supportive of it and whether or not it’s going to compete with Bay Beach,” said Ditscheit.
Brown County Executive Troy Streckenbach says the county is excited to use the Island to compliment that whole area. He called this easement a piece toward that ultimate goal.
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