Neighbors of the proposed Barker's Cove project in Superior have concerns about the impact that 58 new homes on the man-made island could have for residents and the community.
Superior's former city planner would like to create a townhouse and condominium development on four acres of undeveloped land on the southern end of Barker's Island. It could create up to 24 townhouses constructed in three-unit buildings and 34 condos in another building.
Marshall Weems of Mission Development LLC will seek a blight designation from the Superior Redevelopment Authority today to begin work to develop a four-acre site adjacent to residential property on the island. The authority takes public testimony before deciding whether the designation can be granted for the undeveloped site.
Under Wisconsin law, "blight" is a designation for land without the infrastructure needed for development and allows that infrastructure to be built.
"We're concerned about a couple of things," said Michelle Johnstad, president of the Barker's Island Homeowners Association. "There apparently are wetlands over there, and that's a concern from an environmental standpoint.''
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Johnstad said residents, who met last weekend, aren't against development on the island. She had supported a proposal in 2000 that would have created six new single-family homes on a smaller portion of the site. She would have supported eight or 10 new homes there, but 58 seems like a significant jump in the island's population and raises concern about congestion.
Jack Culley is chief executive officer of Sailboats Inc., which operates the city marina and had proposed building the single-family homes. From the standpoint of the marina operations, he said the density of the proposed development doesn't make sense. The project would be immediately adjacent to the marina's fuel farm, Culley said.
"It's analogous to putting an apartment house right on top of an ICO station," Culley said. "It doesn't make any sense at all."
Culley, who spent 18 years developing the waterfront sites on Barker's Island, said he has concerns the project would sell.
"I have some experience with that," he said.
However, the impact on residents isn't the only concern Barker's Island residents have about the project, according to Johnstad. The island draws many during the summer months to play on the beaches, use the trails and participate in the annual Lake Superior Dragon Boat Festival.
"Summertime is so busy, and there are children playing down by the beach and they're running across the street," she said. "And the dragon boat festival and all those great things about the island -- traffic will be crazy out there. We're concerned about traffic and the safety of the island."
"We know at some point it's going to be developed," Johnstad said. "We're not against that. We just don't think the idea of putting 58 residences over there is a very smart thing to do on four acres."
