As part of an increasing amount of allowed recreational vehicle travel in Sauk County, all-terrain and utility-terrain vehicles are now allowed on a major trunk in Lake Delton.
The village board approved a Sauk County Highway Department ordinance allowing the travel of ATVs and UTVs along County Highway A within the village limits during its meeting on June 27. It passed with a 5-2 vote, with village trustees Leslie Bremer and Tom Diehl voting against the measure.
“What they’re doing is looking to open up all the county highways (for ATV/UTV use), and the county has to ask permission from each municipality,” said village administrator Tim McCumber, who is also the Sauk County Board chairperson. “Today’s vote was to approve County A access.”
McCumber added that the Sauk County Highway Department has now granted recreational vehicle access on about 85% of county highways.
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Diehl cited the presence of tourism traffic as a primary reason for his opposition to ATV/UTV approval.
“I’m totally opposed to ATVs in a community that is tourism-based,” said Diehl. “With the traffic we have here and the tourists who come here that don’t even know where they are going half the time. When you put ATVs on (the road), you’re asking for trouble.”
Village taking offers on vacant property
The village has three vacant property areas for which it is looking for buyers.
Tory Wolfram, the owner of Wisconsin Dells Realty, spoke at the village board meeting to discuss the open land on Wisconsin Dells Parkway between Durkee and Adams streets, across the parking lot from BWP Liquor.
“The only condition of any offer (on the vacant lots) is it would have to be required to be contingent upon a development agreement being entered between the village and the buyer that is acceptable to both parties,” said Wolfram.
Wolfram said at the meeting that there have been “numerous” inquiries on the parcel across from BWP, which is currently priced “very attractively” at $399,900. Village attorney Richard Cross said that the property, being roughly one acre, would work for a small lodging or retail business.
“We’re wide open to what anybody suggests,” said Cross. “It’s a complicated property because of its location and it has got access from both north and southbound traffic, but it could be a problem to have a very intense business, like a drive-through, there.”
A village-owned 7.5-acre land parcel near Kohl’s is also fielding offers, but Wolfram said he is looking for “a bit more direction” regarding that plot because of its large size. The plot is currently priced at $749,900.
McCumber said the village is having a meeting on June 30 to discuss direction for the large parcel. Diehl said that a developer wanted to build a hotel in that site, but Marriott did not approve it.
The village is also seeking a buyer for the small lot that is the former site of Twi-Lite Motel, across Wisconsin Dells Parkway from Moosejaw Pizza. Wolfram said the plot consists of between 0.4 and 0.5 acres of land, which limits development options. He did not list a price on the lot.
New police station open
June 27 was the opening day for the Lake Delton Police Department’s new police station. Construction for the $10.9 million station began last April after the COVID-19 pandemic halted the beginning following a village approval of the project on March 9, 2020.
Prior to the completion of the new facility on Miller Drive in the village, the department used a portion of the Kay C. Mackesey Administration Building for nearly 20 years.
