Town addresses junked property

Town of Belgium officials were planning to follow up on the condition of a property that hasn’t been cleaned up since at least spring.

The town received a complaint about the property a 271 Hidden Bluff Rd. Litter is strewn across the yard and the grass needed to be mowed.

A neighbor, Gina Lewis, had called Town Chairman Tom Winker about the property’s condition and said she would try to make contact with the owner.

The property’s condition was so obvious that Winker and both supervisors noticed it during their annual road inspection in spring.

Winker last summer said he would request that Ozaukee County do a wellness check, but at this month’s Town Board meeting said that was declined.

Winker said he and Town Zoning Administrator Charlie Parks spent an hour on the property on a recent Saturday but never made contact with the owners.

The town does not have an ordinance addressing junk on properties.

“There are no subdivision rules that you would hope folks would abide by. There are no covenants to govern what goes on in that particular subdivision, and it’s a great argument for having them. It proves and preserves property value,” Parks said. “This is a tough one. I don’t know who those folks are, but it is a mess.”

Winker said he and Parks would try to visit the property again.

“We’ll see what we can do. We’ll continue to try to work with them, do the best we can,” he said.