Sheboygan marina and waterfront community meetings start this week. Here's what to know.
SHEBOYGAN – The second step in bringing the community into planning a vision for Sheboygan’s marina revitalization kicks off this week.
Design firm SmithGroup will host various sessions to include community stakeholders in creating draft plans for a new waterfront.
“The collective input and creativity of our residents will be instrumental in creating innovative solutions for our waterfront spaces,” a Department of Public Works news release said.
The city announced in November 2023 its pursuit of a multi-year $12 million revitalization project of the marina to replace about 250 boat slips, which could cost $11 million to $13 million.
What happened at the first public meeting for the marina?
The first meeting, held at Mead Public Library and hosted by the DPW and SmithGroup, facilitated public input with posters posing different questions about plans for the marina. Some boards asked where attendees lived in Sheboygan; what their connections were to the waterfront; and what they’d like to see in the beach, marina and Deland Park areas.
“Our waterfront is a key part of our identity, and getting these ideas is really going to help drive this forward,” Mayor Ryan Sorenson said at the April 30 meeting. “We don't want this to be the marina of the present, we want this to be the marina of the future.”
Multicolor sticky notes reflected varying visions from community stakeholders — like a restaurant, public swimming pool or more green space — but SmithGroup landscape architect and urban designer Xu Zhang said there was an overwhelming desire to keep the lakefront area public and accessible.
Several stakeholder concerns emerged around the city’s consideration of resident versus tourist wants and the boating community’s future in the marina, too.
Input from the first session was gathered to inform the second public meeting.
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What should you expect at the charrette this week?
The public "charrette" — a meeting in which all stakeholders try to resolve conflicts and map solutions — will be held June 24-27 at the Kiwanis Park Fieldhouse, 726 Kiwanis Park Road.
Here’s what to expect from the multi-day planning and design collaboration meetings:
The second round of community planning will kick off with a project overview and interactive exercises to share ideas from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. June 24.
Open design studios where the community can offer input on marina draft concepts will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. June 25 and 10 a.m. to noon June 26.
A public open house will offer an informal conversation on draft plans from 5 to 7 p.m. June 26.
A final presentation sharing the draft ideas from the week will be shared from 5 to 7 p.m. June 27.
What happens next?
Proposal for a final plan could come in late summer or early fall, the final part of the planning process.
Contact Sam Bailey at [email protected] or 573-256-9937. To stay up to date on her stories and other news, follow her on X (Twitter) @SamarahBailey. Contact Alex Garner at 224-374-2332 or [email protected]. Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @alexx_garner.
This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: Sheboygan waterfront, marina revitalization focus of week of meetings
