(Published Monday, April 23, 2007 11:24:22 AM CST)
A d v e r t i s e m e n t
By Ann Marie Ames Gazette staff
DELAVAN TOWNSHIP-Sho-Deen Construction is taking its maps and going home.
The Geneva, Ill., developer announced Sunday night it would go back to the drawing board with plans for a 4,770-unit residential development on the Delavan Lake inlet.
"The original Jackson Creek project-put forth by Sho-Deen in 2005 and modified several times since-is dead," Sho-Deen stated in a press release.
Sho-Deen said it will introduce a new proposal at an undetermined date.
Supervisor Jim Wolfgram said he is pleased to see a spirit of cooperation from Sho-Deen.
"It sounds like they are willing to work with the town," Wolfgram said. "I'm glad they're going to reconsider what they're doing and come back with a plan that's more workable for the town and community."
Jim Wolfgram
The decision follows a large turnover on the Delavan Town Board. Appointments still are pending, but the board is less Sho-Deen-friendly than it was in March.
-- Voters replaced supervisors Larry Malsch and Dolores Nowak with Wolfgram and Kay Franzen, two opponents of large development.
-- Supervisor Bill Endisch announced his resignation effective Monday, April 30.
-- Town board Chairman John Pelletier was re-elected in April. He declined the seat, saying the removal of Malsch and Nowak proved voters did not agree with Pelletier's vision for the town.
This left Supervisor Wayne Polzin as the only member of the five-member board to survive the election. The Janesville Gazette could not reach Polzin for comment this morning.
Polzin said previously he encourages residents interested in filling the two open seats to file resumes at Delavan Town Hall, 5621 Town Hall Road.
The board could make appointments on or before its Tuesday, May 15, meeting.
Sho-Deen said it would wait for the new board members to settle in before coming back with a new plan. The new plan will address concerns raised by town residents and create a "vibrant, attractive community," Sho-Deen said.
The developer said its only regret was that residents might not have understood the time frame and slow pace of development Sho-Deen proposed for Jackson Creek.
"We believe in orderly growth," Sho-Deen said.
The development inspired inter-governmental discussions between leaders of the town of Delavan and the cities of Elkhorn and Delavan. Leaders met in March to talk about concerns, which included impacts of the Jackson Creek proposal and the town's interest in incorporation.
Now that the election is over, the municipalities intend to meet again and develop committees to address concerns.
