County panel to weigh in on beach access debate

Ozaukee County supervisors hope to be “brought up to speed” on the controversy surrounding access to the Lake Michigan beach near Lion’s Den Gorge Nature Preserve in the Town of Grafton that has led to confrontations in recent months between beach walkers and landowners over where the public is allowed to walk.

“I have communicated with (County Administrator) Jason Dzwinel that I want a discussion item about this for July’s agenda,” Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Holyoke said in an email to Ozaukee Press. “I feel the NRC could be brought up to speed on what actions the county has done so far and to allow the committee members to voice their opinions.”

The committee is scheduled to meet at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, July 2, in Room A20 of the County Administration Building in downtown Port Washington.

Last month, county officials installed new signs warning hikers to stay off private property following complaints from neighbors of the nature preserve. An alert also was posted on the county website along with the boundaries of the park clearly delineated.

The new signs and notifications were in response to complaints from neighboring property owners that beach walkers coming from the nature preserve are trespassing, littering or otherwise disturbing their property.

“Public beach is located within the boundaries of Lion’s Den Gorge Nature Preserve,” the new sign reads in hard-to-miss yellow letters on a red background. “Please do not trespass on neighboring private property.”

Where the public is allowed to walk on the lakeshore has long been a point of controversy, but it has worsened locally as Lion’s Den has gained in popularity, drawing visitors from as far away as Chicago and Madison.

And the controversy promises to not improve with the development of Clay Bluffs Cedar Gorge Nature Preserve just north of Lion’s Den.

Tensions have increased in recent weeks as property owners have erected rope lines across the beach to the water, warning walkers to stay off their property.

According to the state Department of Natural resources, the ordinary high water mark of the lake is the boundary between private property and the public lake bed, even if the actual water’s edge is often much lower.

“The Wisconsin DNR has long communicated to the public to ‘keep your feet wet’ when recreating in public waters,” a DNR spokeswoman told Ozaukee Press.

Property owners have appeared at least three times before county supervisors to complain, but no action or even discussion has occurred at a county meeting as the homeowners spoke during the public comment section of the meeting agendas, but it was a one-sided conversation because rules don’t allow supervisors to respond or comment during that time.

The issue is slated for discussion only for Thursday’s meeting and supervisors will not take any action.

But the neighbors of the preserve will be allowed to speak.

Some of the landowners say they are planning to attend the meeting.

“A few of us are going to see what they have to say,”  Mark Harris said.

Harris said he has had no recent communication with the county and that the new signs have already been vandalized or torn down.

“We put them back up for them (the county),” he said.

Traffic on the beach has remained heavy, but the publicity over the issue seems to have had an impact, Harris said.

“Some people are trying to walk in the water; the education and knowledge behind it has helped,” he said. “A lot of people are displeased with (the restrictions) but 99% of the people are decent and complying.”