PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

Stakeholder Interviews

The City of Onalaska provided the consultant, Schreiber Anderson Associates (SAA), with a list of over 50 stakeholders to interview for the Comprehensive Planning process. SAA contacted all stakeholders, and 16 chose to participate in the Stakeholder Interview process. Stakeholders interviewed include the following:

Larry Dalton, Onalaska School District
Judy Gull, Gull Relocation Realtors
Mike Giese, Alderperson
Cynthia Olmstead, Mississippi River Conservancy
Craig Thompson, Wisconsin DNR
Sophia Staut, Centering Onalaska
Mike Herro, Xcel Energy
Jim Bialecki, Mayor of Onalaska
Keith Heinz, Onalaska Luther High School
John Burnett, School Superintendent
Arlyn Proksch, Alderperson
Jeanne Lunde, Commerce Tourism
Randy Williams, Police Chief
John Tower, TCI Builders
Bill Leathen, Alderperson
Dan Wick, City of Onalaska, Parks and Recreation Department

All stakeholders were asked the same seven (7) questions. Their responses are below. Individual responses will not be revealed to preserve the integrity of the process. In addition, the La Crosse Area Builders Association staff and members informally discussed several of the questions with the consultant and City planning staff. The Association will meet again to discuss the following questions and provide input at a later date. The responses from the informal discussion are included in the collective responses below.

1. What are the most important issues in the community?
2. What is your vision for the future of this community?
3. What are the community’s strengths?
4. What are the community’s weaknesses?
5. What are the community’s opportunities?
6. What are the community’s threats?
7. Other Comments/Questions?

1. What are the most important issues in the community?

• Parks/recreation staffing too limited
• Corps plan will need to be updated next year
• More parkland
• City is in a livability situation
• Swimming pool
• Ability to fund, upkeep and purchase facilities to meet minimum requirement
• How to meet citizen expectation
• Adding new infrastructure stretches resources
• Fund capital improvements needed without increasing taxes other than cost of living/inflation
• City will run out of room to grow someday
• Swimming pool
• Redevelop riverfront for a more accessible green space
• Need to keep investing in schools, maybe a new high school
• Maintain growth-expansion to north and east
• Need technology, high end manufacturing jobs
• Need to create new jobs-have lost some business
• Managing growth and infrastructure needs
• More efficient use of services
• Community survey-provide same level of services that they have today
• Public safety needs increase with more people
• Traffic safety and congestion are big areas of concern (hwy 35 and hwy 16)
• Youth related crimes and drug related crimes
• Budget constraints may result in loss of services and programs
• More officers vs. community programs
• Growth-how do taxpayers feel about it?
• Perception that growth may be burden on traffic
• Gunderson Clinic
• Omni Center
• Swimming Pool
• Resident’s don’t understand TIF-must keep people informed
• People don’t come to public hearings
• Citizens don’t see the big picture-interested in short term return
• Replacement of swimming pool
• Expansion of Omni Center with 2nd office
• Need for larger facility for trade show and entertainment
• Need to tap riverfront assets
• Need to keep offering quality of life services
• Small, land-locked community – important in how we use land that is available.
• Better capitalize on waterfront activities – should be used to attract people to the community.
• Challenge to maintain all the things we have now – big enough to have everything we want without big city problems.
• How do we make ourselves an attractive community when all the land is developed?
• Protection of the bluffs.
• Need new area for the City garage
• Traffic
• Revitalization of the downtown
• Replacement of infrastructure (Green Coulee Rd., Hwy 16, Main Street, Theater Rd., Hwy 35N, Sand Lake Rd. – all very busy.
• Sprawl has had its effect. Need to refocus on TND (traditional neighborhood development).
• Need to look at how to revitalize existing neighborhoods in the future.
• Economic climate – lost 2500 jobs recently, but going in the right direction with Gunderson.
• Need to be aware of what is happening in La Crosse because if they sink, we’re going with them
• Need to address the waterfront
• Planned residential growth
• Provide appropriate green space within developments in the City
• Access to Lake Onalaska and bike trail
• Next to the lake in downtown, but people don’t know it. Should access the river from downtown.
• Downtown needs new businesses – retail, restaurants, etc. to get people downtown.
• Cooperation with La Crosse is needed others to share services
• Open space protection
• Bluff land protection
• Rational approach to growth within Onalaska and Holmen. Have a lot of faith in planners, but the plans have to be meaningful – need growth that does not detract from our quality of life.
• Highway planning – particularly along the corridors. These corridors have a tremendous impact on everything.
• Struggle between appropriate development and why people like to live here.
• Budget issues
• Losing industries in La Crosse will impact the region for years
• Tensions among local governments – like to see more cooperation
• Continue and finish this planning process and then execute the plan.
• Need wise development (development that is sustainable and environmentally friendly) – not just smart growth
• Need to protect quality of life and respond to each individual subdivision request with this in mind.
• Onalaska is not an island – it is related to everything else.
• Affordable housing – starter homes are near $200K, in Holmen near $150K – no new housing stock is affordable.
• Growth – commercial and residential
• Growth creates additional traffic
• Safety for pedestrians
• Great respect for Jason Gilman
• Improve bike trail
• Riverfront is underdeveloped
• Development downtown needs to merge to riverfront
• Orderly development with an eye towards safety
• Growth – needs to be visually and functionally viable. It pretty good now, but it needs to continue.
• Formation of a new, vibrant downtown – attract more businesses. Further enhancing its uniqueness and beauty of Main Street. For example, put hanging flower baskets on the entrance to the City – you know you are here
• Affordable housing does not exist in a single family format in Onalaska.
• Cannot develop affordable single family lots – the land prices will not allow it.
• Smaller lots are built to the max.
• Impact fees in Onalaska are onerous.
• There is a lot of bias against multi-family housing in Onalaska which prevents higher density row-houses, etc.

2. What is your vision for the future of this community?

• Need more large open space areas for special events
• More soccer fields and ball fields
• Recreation-provide most comprehensive programs within the budget
• More community enrichment programs-too athletic oriented
• Fitness/wellness programs
• Parks-provide safe and quality facilities for recreation for citizens and visitors
• Promote city-wide signage program to make people more aware of the system
• Quality swimming pool
• Riverfront tourism
• Need options for growth-annexations not the first option
• Redevelop downtown/riverfront
• Need to develop a structure to survive without growing-no answers
• Resources should come from state/regional partnerships
• Locational advantages to attract high end jobs
• Ensure natural resources preservation
• Strong conservation practices without inhibiting growth
• Growth to east
• Destination point for shopping/visitors
• Strong downtown
• Natural resource management
• More of a place that offers jobs, shopping, housing, etc to community residents
• Riverfront
• 35 corridor
• Tourism
• Need to develop riverfront-downtown will benefit by attracting more business
• Expansion of services like clinic
• More programs for youth
• Need balance between commercial and residential developments-commercial interests sometimes overpower residential interests
• City is constrained by natural and political boundaries-must use available land wisely so it isn’t a drain on the tax base
• Gunderson Clinic is opportunity to put City in financial health
• Orderly growth
• Look at how things fit into the plan
• Continues to be a bedroom community of professionals whose number one reason to live here is that it is a great place to raise a family. That means great recreational areas, schools, and safety.
• Need to grow up when City cannot grow out any longer – need to look at multiple story facilities – especially as existing big name stores and strip malls redevelop
• Downtown revitalization
• Retain greens pace and preserve the waterfront – critical to the quality of life for our community
• Need to focus on public transportation to address the needs of people who cannot afford to drive
• Regional transit authority should be considered to address transportation issues on larger scale
• Not get too big
• Close to things – nature, culture/arts, retail – yet small enough where you know a lot of people.
• Top notch park system, connected trails
• Need a better bike trail in the City
• Metro form of government where communities work closely with one another and with a healthy environment.
• Integration of all types of transportation – not only address traffic problems with new roads
• Integrate new development into the environment
• Provide parks and open space for neighborhoods
• The City will perform its role as an urban entity – increase densities, efficiency in the delivery of services that appropriate, infill.
• The environment has tremendous economic rewards for the region, but this is very little the perception.
• Need to pay attention to natural features.
• Need more industry so people don’t have to drive to La Crosse
• Vital community that offers a lot comfort to a family that raises kids here.
• Natural resources
• Sense of community
• Onalaska is a destination rather than a place to drive through to get someplace else.
• Neighborhoods of people who socialize and work in Onalaska. Main focus of their lives is here.
• Need a place to congregate – similar to how a church functions – but for all residents, like a band shell

3. What are the community’s strengths?

• Many willing volunteers
• Omni Center-recreation hub
• Some of nicest ball fields in the region
• Aquatic center
• School District has soccer fields to supplement parks
• Skate park is asset-needs more supervision but no resources
• Committed group involved in skate park issue
• Increasing investments to offset tax burden
• One of the fastest growing communities in State
• Cooperation with Town of Onalaska and Village of Holmen
• Community leadership-good cross section of representation
• Strong school system, some room for expansion
• Enjoyed significant retail growth
• Great outdoor recreation
• City planning in good shape
• Good community diversity
• Growth in progressive values
• City is getting the most out of development
• Near La Crosse activities
• Gunderson Clinic
• Hotel/conference center
• Community policing
• Center of Onalaska
• Community pride
• Increase in business
• Riverfront
• School system-a reason many people choose to live in Onalaska
• Fire /police cost per capita is low for quality of services
• Higher income housing-not many lower income areas and associated problems
• Quality of growth is high
• Gunderson Lutheran Clinic-will bring skilled jobs to City
• Community pride
• Excellent schools
• Churches are strong
• Parks and recreation
• La Crosse is cultural/party center-Onalaska is outdoor recreation center
• Bike trails
• Quality of life
• Council, plan commission, committees are on same page about using a plan to make decisions
• Citizens are well-educated and get involved
• Geographic location-2.5 hours to Minneapolis and Madison, intersection of major highways
• Regional economic center
• Parks department does a great job of meeting Everybody’s needs
• Demographic diversity
• Schools
• Natural resources
• Location on the interstate and near an airport
• Make up of the community – sense of community, level of professionalism
• Strong tax base
• Great shopping and restaurants
• Growth
• Infrastructure is in place and not that far out of date – much has been replaced in the last 7-8 years
• Location of the interstate system
• Access to health care
• Access to good schools
• Waterfront
• Greens Coulee Park
• Good for families
• Close to shopping
• Close to schools – public and parochial
• Friendly people
• Natural resource base – substantially contributes to the quality of life and why people live here.
• Transportation infrastructure is very good, but the likelihood that it will be constrained is evident.
• Local governments are on top of the issues. People are engaged, aware and informed.
• People who really love living here and are concerned about how changes in the community will change their quality of life
• Schools
• University
• Health care
• A distinct downtown
• Jason – having a progressive planner on staff is a huge benefit
• Cooperation with developers on doing more environmentally sensitive developments to protect the bluffs
• Use older areas for new development rather than farms – recycle our existing urban lands.
• Don’t want to see all farms gone
• Changes in some local governments are positive – more progressive actions in the City and Towns – such as the Town of Onalaska’s PDR (purchase of development rights) program.
• Sense of value of what we have and don’t want to lose it.
• Jason’s efforts to link greenways to the conservancy
• Conservancy project between communities is a “feel-good” project
• Location to transportation corridor and airport
• Proximity to unique environmental features, bird migrations.
• Opportunity for development and civic identity related to Lake Onalaska and Mississippi River Valley.
• Proximity to state and federal resource areas – Fish and Wildlife Service that bring in dollars, PhDs – well paying jobs and educated people.
• Universities
• Onalaska is accessible – on the interstate, close to the airport, etc.
• Education
• Beautiful – the river, lake, close to shopping, newer young community
• Schools
• Natural beauty of the area – river, bluffs, bike trail, sports fishing, bird watching, etc.
• Clear Water Farms – great example of a foundation working to buy green space from developers
• Downtown revitalization has been a success – needs to keep going and keep an commercial focus on downtown
• Shopping opportunities are close
• Transportation is great
• Environmental qualities are great
• Growing into a city, but keeping small town way of life
• Convenience of everything – easy to get from one place to the next – achieved without going a long distance. Now medically we’ll have everything we need right here
• Lakefront – like to see it utilized for entertainment and educational purposes – such as the marsh with floating docs


4. What are the community’s weaknesses?

• Not providing a quality service for all users due to staffing
• Do not provide enough opportunities for all sectors of community-too youth oriented, too athletic oriented
• Distribution of activity guides is limited-people not aware of programs
• Swimming pool is an ugly project-hard to fund, not enough support, isn’t getting done
• Can’t compete with La Crosse
• Inability to fund swimming pool
• Lack of multi-family housing
• NIMBY attitude
• People may take natural beauty/resources for granted
• Underutilized riverfront
• Need to be more proactive
• Taxes should be used to finish Omni Center or improve service
• Conservative values hold City back
• Growth in jobs is gone
• More youth programs
• Need more open space and recreation facilities, especially soccer
• Limited access to riverfront
• Need more jobs for people who live in City-jobs going elsewhere
• Community participation and volunteerism
• Need more manufacturing
• Money to support
• Need community theater
• Zoning-industrial
• Community needs more lower income housing based on size
• Onalaska has lower taxes than adjacent areas, but given the high incomes, citizens could pay more
• Community fundraising has stalled
• Omni Center not getting done fast enough
• Need snow mobile around City
• Not taking advantage of the river and lakes
• Need to do a better job of using the bluffs for recreation without destroying them
• New development seems to be focusing one type of development – for the wealthy, it is not affordable to the younger generation.
• Traffic problems in the mall area
• Reluctance to change
• Inability for people to look out 20 years
• Water run-off
• Lack of public involvement
• Greater need for government to re-evaluate who they are – need to create more efficiencies and shared services
• Bike trail system in the city
• No real sense of downtown
• Failure to utilize the lake and trail system
• Need tennis courts on the east side of town
• Continue to work on traffic control as the city grows (pretty decent now)
• Sprawl is a big problem – can’t get a handle on it, and it feeds into traffic congestion. Leads to a loss of important natural resources and open space.
• Lack of comprehensive metropolitan government. Communities function too independently.
• Transportation – the older generation wants great roads with no delays, etc.
• Battles between local governments
• Legacy of lack of planning
• Expectations of realtors, developers – traditions of how things were done in the past.
• Parochial perspective of the city – battles with La Crosse over ego and identity – less substantive issues
• Do not get along with other municipalities in the area
• Lack of affordable housing
• Underutilization of riverfront, bike trail
• Traffic congestion is becoming an intense issue
• Do not find many weaknesses… city government is responsive to the citizens – city’s battles are only small skirmishes – not on big issues
• Don’t like not being able to recycle plastics – there is money to be made on recycling – dislike throwing it into the trash
• The Streets Dept. is highly uncooperative – they wouldn’t help with watering flowers.

5. What are the community’s opportunities

• Volunteerism is potential, but getting people to commit time is difficult
• Park development fund could be used for operations as well as acquisitions
• Partnering needed to promote activities
• Potential to be one of the nicest park systems in the State
• Growth options in area near country club, riverfront/downtown, up to Holmen
• Regionalism but not at expense of quality of service at cost of service
• Multi-family housing-where should it be located? Should be addressed in plan
• Affordable housing and manufacturing should be addressed in plan
• Create strategic alliances to recruit high tech, high paying manufacturing jobs
• Need to attract new, quality businesses that everyone will benefit from
• Use nature, beauty as economic development strategy
• Need vision and be ready to act
• Need to become more whole city with infill
• Not a bedroom community
• Partnership between police and park and recreation to develop program for youth-sharing assets and financial resources, volunteer support
• Partnership with adjacent communities-more regionalism needed to be efficient at saving money
• Consolidation of services
• Need more bike/outdoor retail-rental, sales, etc
• More retail related to outdoors, especially winter sports, e.g. Ice fishing equipment
• Downtown can be economic center of riverfront if developed
• How to attract specialty retail?
• Need to attract residents as well as tourists
• Take advantage of fitness/exercise potential
• Riverfront is the #1 priority-that will spur development of the central area
• City is in process of redeveloping property
• Commercial development is finite
• The city has grown to its boundaries-need to infill core of city
• City is somewhat progressive about redevelopment and working with property owners
• Need to work more with private property owners
• Take advantage of the marsh lands, river to create something really attractive.
• As Gunderson Lutheran develops as a large medical facility that can add additional medical facilities.
• Use bluff lands – Greens Coulee – to do exiting things on a grand scale for hiking and biking
• Revitalization of downtown
• Major commercial developments – Gunderson Clinic, First Federal Headquarters, Wal-Mart, etc.
• Retain green space
• Maintain clean environment, particularly with types of jobs we are attracting
• Lakefront access – generally for tourism
• Better access to lake, bluffs, marsh
• Tourism – birding – we’re in the fly-way
• Need to build a new swimming pool
• Omni Center is a nice facility for a small community
• Opportunities to work with other communities to reduce costs
• Create a metropolitan government – an umbrella structure (all communities and their existing forms of government continue)
• Create a network of protected areas – a big river corridor that is tied into a larger open space corridor
• Concerted effort to protect bluff lands
• Good local government structure, but La Crosse County is weak government, is not visionary and the board is too big. The County is the weak link in the government structure.
• Work with developers to more environmentally sensitive developments
• Create mixed-use developments to create much more integrated developments – many of the conservation developments are only for the very wealthy
• State grants for a lot of things – conservation, economic development – smaller communities are not taking advantage of it.
• The Town of Onalaska’s PDR program – model for other towns such as the Town of Holland
• Decent planning for the last 10 years for wise development, but the Gunderson development is the antithesis of wise development
• Attractive environment bring in business.
• Create a wise development around the Menard’s site – an information park with high paying jobs – that would sit well with the health care and information services.
• Attract health logistics businesses
• Position the city for wise developments (the precursor to smart growth that provides the greatest return for the investment for the common good for the public and private sectors; and development that sustains itself for decades)
• Growth to create jobs – land near Menards to create businesses, land off of OT to be developed, by Cedar Creek Golf Course – need industry to create local jobs.
• Area by Walmart for commercial development.
• Riverfront – need a common access to multi-purpose destination – relax, view boating, bike trail – make it a community focal point, connect to downtown in an attractive way
• Make sure community development and increased traffic congestion do not detract from the warmth of our residential community
• Other recreation – development of hiking trails, trail to utilize the bluffs
• Keep working on making Main Street the core of Onalaska – a beautiful, calming place to be, with more businesses
• Doing things on the street
• Development of the waterfront
• Like to see the marsh area used for education of our children so they grow up with the appreciation of it
• Biggest benefit is the scenery – lakes, bluffs, rivers
• There should be accommodations for TNDs, but the public does not understand TNDs or the benefits of such developments
• Big growth areas on the east side of the city – Greens Coulee, Sand Lake Coulee

6. What are the community’s threats?

• Economy-financial constraints
• More cuts will be necessary
• Funding programs are threatened
• Running out of land-biggest concern
• State’s property tax freeze-impact on taxes and services
• City should be allowed to have two levels of property tax-high end vs. low end incomes
• Change in constitution to allow cities/municipalities to assess property
• Consolidation-providing same quality of services for per capita cost
• Space to grow
• Community vision
• Willingness to invest in community
• Community’s willingness to support expansion of services
• Difficulty getting people involved in SunFish Festival-people too busy
• Can City sustain business growth
• 5 years ago there was a lack of senior housing but there are more choices now
• Becoming a richer community
• Not sure if community supports diversity
• Community perception that City is giving away land, e.g. Gundersen Clinic perks (parking ramp)
• City needs to better educate public on rationale for decisions, e.g. future benefits for short-term decisions
• As the population grows – maintaining the quality of life
• Traffic will increase and become more of a problem as suburbs develop
• Greater strains on schools and municipal services
• Retaining identity
• Keep growth controlled – population numbers of types of development
• Transportation – only 2 primary routes in/out of La Crosse, and people’s reluctance to give up the car
• Running out of room to grow – running out of tax base
• Questions about the public school funding
• City gets too big and loses the hometown feel
• Unplanned growth – both in the city and beyond.
• Quality of life issue. Need a well thought out, rational plan for the future.
• More cluster developments – people need to live closer together with higher densities – then we can maintain the open space.
• Comprehensive approach Is needed.
• People who live in rural areas but do not know how to do it.
• Urban-rural conflicts
• Fragmentation of the landscape, cities are trying to get a handle on it, but the Towns don’t.
• No sense of community in Onalaska – people work in La Crosse, low percentage of voters and little community involvement – must actively create a sense of community
• Lack of affordable housing – might become a little like Mequon – need diversification – economic, social.
• Fire/safety – only have one station and might need a new one if the city continues to grow farther out
• Traffic – increase in commercial traffic to the extent that it devalues or degrades the residential aspects of the city
• Get some school traffic off of Main Street – need to isolate the school traffic.
• Get old pool land if/when no longer needed
• Eagle Bluff – new school. Traffic on OS situation – there are some problems with the light and traffic patterns – it is a city street to the school and not a driveway, but most people do not recognize it.
• High school parking is an issue for students.
• If smart growth and pre-planned things are not done – factories or substandard buildings might be built.
• Need to maintain the physical beauty – what goes in and around it.
• No place for junk autos, etc. – don’t want to see what is happening in some towns with junk autos on lawns, etc.
• Not all that many years and Onalaska will be just like La Crosse without any land to develop – must prepare to deal with it now; most of the remaining land is not suitable for small lots because of the topography and soils

7. Other Comments/Questions?

• State of community is strong
• Need to make good decisions that balance resources with needs
• Multi-family is an important housing choice
• Happy to be living and working in Onalaska
• Build relationship with citizens-City is doing this. E.g. Technology Advisory Committee is made up of citizens.
• How can the City work better? Need strong public input
• Community Response Committee and Citizen Police Academy to help with publicity of issues
• Need to keep people in touch with all decisions
• City acquired 40 AC near Green Coulee for recreation
• Feels good about future for Onalaska-leadership, citizenry, economic base
• How are we thinking about when we make community decisions? We need to keep in mind – How we got to where we are. This is a great place to make a life, raise a family.
• Community needs to be focused on what its needs really are.
• Stronger neighborhood groups could be an asset.
• Greens Coulee – proper development of this area.
• Better access by foot or bike to retail area – too congested with cars
• This first step to create the comprehensive plan is an excellent first step toward maintaining the quality of life here. Think the world of Jason Gilman and Larry Kirsch - 2 excellent planners that think big picture. It is excellent that this is happening at all.
• Need aggressive bluff land protection program.
• Need a Green’s Coulee Park.
• Working with the Village and Town is great.
• Promote alternative transportation choices – it is totally unsafe to bike to the shopping malls.
• Link trails from Onalaska to La Crosse.
• La Crosse has a lot of non-profits that could work with the City of Onalaska.
• Create an understanding of how the environment is linked to the local economy.
• Attract birders to the area and schedule events for them.
• Must ask how new development benefits the existing community? How are we going to balance it with quality of life, etc.?
• Everything is inter-related
• Swimming pool – Onalaska doesn’t do a good job in getting out to the public to explain the value of a new pool. The city creates too big of a referendum package – then the entire package fails and end up with nothing.
• School District boundaries do not make a lot of sense
• Compliment City’s planning department – Jason Gilman in particular
• How to leverage the School District land to be part of the city’s plan
• Need to coordinate school district and city planning processes
• Keep community involved in the process
• As new park develops by Clear Water – might be a great place for an amphitheater for lectures, theater, etc. It has a beautiful view.
• To make things better: the city needs to be more specific in how people can be useful to the city – how to get citizens groups involved – citizens and groups need guidance. Does the city want surveys of some type – if yes, then work with local groups to conduct the surveys. How does the city want input and what do they want to know from citizens and groups. They need to clearly say it to people and groups.
• Must address market demands for new development – give general housing options in the plan, but let the market determine the type, quantity, size, etc.
• Hope this process is not like La Crosse – this should be a realistic plan
• The average age of residents has increased from 32 to 39
• The City needs to tell the development community the type of development it wants – just indicate what it wants
• No housing stock in the city is dilapidated enough yet to buy it and tear it down for a new home. But, there are some commercial properties where that is the case.

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