In this Issue:
Recently the Geneva Lake Conservancy published a letter arguing to save a tree on a shore property in Fontana. The tree is old and majestic and destined to be cut down for a beautiful new home.
Upcoming GLC Events
Rain
Garden Installation
GLC Mill House Headquarters
Fontana
May 18, 2010 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
(Rain Date: May 19)
Memorial
Day Fundraiser
Georgie B's, Fontana
May 29, 2010
Mai Tai No Tai
Lake Geneva Country Club
July 17, 2010
Volunteer with the GLC
Coffee
at the Conservancy
Tuesdays,
10:00 AM until 11:00 AM
Volunteer
Fridays
We have a variety of outdoor tasks around the Mill
House, and we need YOUR help! Stop by the Conservancy at 2:00 PM every
Friday throughout the summer.
But, people who think this is just about the tree are mistaken. Nor is this issue about the homeowner who has done everything requested by the Village of Fontana.The family deserves to build what is allowed by the zoning or what has been approved by the Village plan commission and board of trustees. The real issue is that the zoning ordinances in Fontana are loose and the Village has a long history of approving whatever is put forward by a homeowner or builder, whether it is a condominium development, a boathouse, a property division, a variance on a height restriction, the addition of more piers, or the removal of too many trees. This should change.
For all who own property on or around the lakes in the area or own businesses that depend on the attractiveness and the ongoing value of the area, we need to keep our entire area from becoming overdeveloped and overcrowded. This starts with zoning ordinances that are well developed, well communicated, and then followed. There also should be some consistency across all the communities on Geneva Lake as well as Lake Como and Delavan Lake.
The
new Village of Fontana Board of Trustees is showing interest in strengthening
Village ordinances. This is very positive. The legal cost of doing this
will be about $50,000. While this may sound like a lot of money, it will
benefit Fontana and all of our communities over the long run by keeping
property values high and protecting the lake from over-development and
over-trafficking from boats.
If communities like Fontana don't protect what we have our lake area could
lose its appeal, and then everyone loses. The easy solution is to accept
every project that comes along. That maximizes taxes, but it chips away
at what we have.
So,
for the Conservancy, I regret putting the homeowners into an awkward position
over a single, albeit beautiful, tree but ask their understanding with
respect to what we are trying to do for their property in the future.
After they have built their dream home, they will want to protect its
value for the long term as well. We on the Conservancy Board will continue
to push for improved and more consistent ordinances in the area. It will
take time and effort. We will object to new projects we believe will hurt
our lake area. These are
issues we all should be involved in to keep our area beautiful for all
for as long as we can.
Charles L. Colman
Chair of the Advocacy Committee
Geneva Lake Conservancy
At its April 28 meeting the Village of Fontana Park Commission asked the zoning administrator to reconsider the designation of the oak tree as a nuisance tree. In the end, however, the commission approved a permit for the legal removal of the oak tree, as it would not survive construction of the home.
May 18: Rain garden installation (rain date May 19) from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. Join us as Tallgrass Restoration directs our efforts to install the Lake Geneva Garden Club-sponsored demonstration rain garden.
May 29: Celebrate the return of summer to the lake with Georgie B's at the Mill Street Plaza in Fontana. Festivities will run all day on Saturday, May 29, and all proceeds from the day go to benefit the Geneva Lake Conservancy.
May 29-30: Join the Fontana Garden Club at the Park House in Fontana. Monies raised from the sale of plants, birdhouses, sun catchers, and homemade pies will go to support local scholarships.
July 17:
Join us for the Mai Tai No Tai! The Lake Luau is returning to the Lake
Geneva Country Club this year. Prepare to celebrate the summer and support
a great cause at the same time! Tickets are $100 per person. Visit our
Mai
Tai page for more information.
July 16-18: The Walworth County Fairgrounds in Elkhorn will be
host to a three-day festival and exhibition featuring all things green.
The Eco-Fair is presented by Eco-Vision Sustainable Learning Center in
Delavan. If you wish to participate as an exhibitor at this event, please
visit the Eco-Fair website.
Many thanks to Lenore
Bayer-Clow of Openlands, and Nancy Williamson of the Illinois DNR, for
coming to the Conservancy's First Annual Earth Day Event to speak on behalf
of the Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge. Visit the Conservancy's
Facebook page for photos of the event.
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The GLC Presents: Groundwater!
Spring is here, and the Conservancy's groundwater models are making the rounds to area schools, civic and social groups. On April 28 GLC Board Member Sharon O'Brien and staffer Katie Sullivan presented for a local chapter of the Red Hat Society ladies and discussed how activities within the area watersheds affect the health of lakes, rivers, and other bodies of water.
The groundwater model will be traveling to Fontana Grade School for the 3rd grade science class, and in June Katie Sullivan will give a demonstration to the Booth Lake Management District annual meeting. If you would like a groundwater model in your classroom or have the GLC do a demonstration for your civic or social group, contact the Conservancy today (262-275-5700)!
Many Thanks to our Corporate Sponsors
What is a corporate sponsor? The sponsors below are people who have underwritten a portion of the Mai Tai this year, donated proceeds, as well as in-kind services. Want to see your logo below? We are currently accepting underwriters for the Mai Tai No Tai.
