Merrill Foto News

Top Menu

  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe
  • Business Directory

Main Menu

  • Local
    • School
    • Health
    • Business
    • Sports
      • Sports News
      • High School Sports Scores
  • Covid 19
  • Courts
  • Opinion
  • Obits
  • Classifieds
    • View Ads
    • Place Ads
  • Our Legals
    • Legal Ads
    • Statewide
  • Video
  • Subscribe
  • E-Edition
    • Merrill Foto News
  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe
  • Business Directory

logo

Merrill Foto News

  • Local
    • School
    • Health
    • Business
    • Sports
      • Sports News
      • High School Sports Scores
  • Covid 19
  • Courts
  • Opinion
  • Obits
  • Classifieds
    • View Ads
    • Place Ads
  • Our Legals
    • Legal Ads
    • Statewide
  • Video
  • Subscribe
  • E-Edition
    • Merrill Foto News
Uncategorized
Home›Uncategorized›Referendum could halt riverfront plans

Referendum could halt riverfront plans

By Foto News
September 2, 2010
823
0
Share:

The city of Merrill last Monday received a petition to put the Riverfront Revitalization Plan to a referendum.

The citizen-generated initiative garnered more than 700 signatures. A total of 526 signatures, equal to 15 percent of the city voters who turned out for the most recent gubernatorial election, are needed to place the referendum question on the Nov. 2 general election ballot. As of this Tuesday, City Clerk Bill Heideman was in the process of certifying that the petition has the required number of legitimate signatures. At about halfway through the petition, Heideman said he anticipates that the petition will meet the requirements. The city has 15 days from receipt to determine whether the petition meets the statutory requirements to be placed on the ballot. The petition does not require city council action.

Assuming the petition does carry the necessary signatures, the question on the Nov. 2 ballot would ask voters whether the city should continue with what is known as the riverfront project outside of the downtown area.

With the referendum on the table, Mayor Bill Bialecki said he will ask that all progress on the riverfront project be halted until after Nov. 2.

“This way the voters have a say,” Bialecki said.

The riverfront revitalization plan encompasses a stretch along the north bank of the Wisconsin River from the downtown area East to Hwy. 64. The plan is to redevelop the riverfront to provide for recreation while creating new areas for commercial, residential and tourist-related development. The redevelopment is projected to be undertaken over many years at an estimated cost of more than $20 million.

Opponents of the project have cited the high cost, along with the potential additional cost of cleaning up long-time industrial sites along the Wisconsin River. There are two known areas of contaminated soil in the project boundaries, and those critical of the project fear there is much more yet to be found.

The wording of the prospective referendum question would allow redevelopment plans to continue within the area along the river directly south of downtown. The riverfront land in that area is owned by Wisconsin Public Service, which has offered to cooperate with the redevelopment.

Previous Article

By Fran Montabon (Gallery: 96880834)

Next Article

“Saved by Angels”

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Related articles More from author

  • NewsUncategorized

    Grampa?s Farm

    October 8, 2013
    By Foto News
  • NewsUncategorized

    Brickyard School

    October 8, 2013
    By Foto News
  • AroundLincolnNewsUncategorized

    MAPS Board to consider moving fifth grade to Middle School

    October 11, 2013
    By Foto News
  • NewsUncategorized

    Public hearing on Merrill water rate increase

    October 8, 2013
    By Foto News
  • AroundLincolnNewsUncategorized

    Merrill Area Public School receives $14,627.25 for energy upgrades

    October 8, 2013
    By Foto News
  • AroundLincolnNewsUncategorized

    Town of Merrill home destroyed by fire

    October 8, 2013
    By Foto News

Leave a reply Cancel reply

About Us


The Foto News (ISSN 0191-8958) is published weekly by Multi Media Channels LLC, N2919 County Road QQ Waupaca, WI 54981. Subscription price by mail: $100 per year, domestic U.S. Mail only, nonrefundable but transferable. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the FOTO NEWS, 921 East Main Street Merrill, WI 54452
Copyright © 2020 Multi Media Channels LLC.
All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted without the prior written consent of Multi Media Channels LLC.
×