Port council backs nature preserve proposal

The Port Washington Common Council on Tuesday threw its support behind the proposed Cedar Gorge Clay Bluffs Nature Preserve to be developed on 135 acres of the former Cedar Vineyard land.

Aldermen voted 6-1 to approve a resolution supporting a plan by the Ozaukee Washington Land Trust and Ozaukee County to purchase the property on the city’s far southeast side. 

The resolution is needed as the county and Land Trust seek a $2 million Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Grant from the Department of Natural Resources needed to purchase the property from Waukesha State Bank.

“This will be an asset to the city to have that out there,” Ald. Dan Benning said. “I’ve always wanted to see this be public access.”

That’s because in addition to the gorge and clay bluffs, the property has roughly 1-1/4 miles of Lake Michigan bluffs and shoreline, is a primary environmental corridor, is along the migratory bird flyway and contains important wildlife habitat.

The proposed nature preserve would be located on the south side of what was once envisioned to be the Cedar Vineyard subdivision. That plan did not come to fruition, so Waukesha State Bank announced plans to sell the northern 70 acres for development and the southern portion of the land for the planned preserve.  

The bank and Land Trust recently reached a purchase agreement for the preserve, but have not announced the price.

Ald. Deb Postl asked if the county and Land Trust could create the preserve on the east side of the property but allow development on the west side, along Lakeshore Road — a proposal floated two weeks ago by Ald. Mike Gasper, who cast the dissenting vote Tuesday.

“There might be more benefit to the city should some of the land along Lakeshore Road be developed with the preserve behind it,” she said. “I would like to see some type of development along that road.”

But that would require the county and Land Trust to resubmit their grant application, Benning said.

Benning noted that even if the west side of the property were to be developed, extending sewer and water service there would be challenging.

There is plenty of land north and west of the planned preserve that can be developed, he added.

Gasper noted that the preserve will “essentially set the southern limit of the city” since it would be cost prohibitive to extend utilities beyond that point.

Because of that, he suggested the city reconsider the tax incremental financing district it set up for the Cedar Vineyard development and perhaps rescind it, saying it may no longer make economic sense.

The stewardship grant is only one of several funding sources the county and Land Trust plan to use for the purchase of the preserve.

They have already received $1 million in funding from the county, Coastal Management program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other donations.

The Land Trust has said it anticipates needing to raise another $2 million for the project, City Planner Bob Harris said.