Developers in Mequon left some money on the table, but will win goodwill from their neighbors by putting wildlife and nature preservation above some potential profit, according to the Daily Reporter.
Note that the public benefits are happening also in no small measure through the cooperation and resources of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, and the Ozaukee Washington Land Trust.
Sounds like a true public/private partnership, with no shortage of good will anywhere.
Believe me, this is a victory. It is one of the most enchanting places in the metropolitan area. The landscape was by Jens Jensen, and thanks to its maturity and native vegetation it has largely escaped many invasive plants. This proposal will bookend the North Fairy Chasm area with the nature preserve to the south of that 19th century enclave developed by the Usinger - Donges family.
ReplyDeleteMichael Horne
P.S. As I wrote this I serendipitously got a call from a childhood friend who grew up in the beautiful stone cottage on the edge of the property, visible from Lake Shore Drive. He's happy to hear the news, too. I look forward to the opening of the preserve to the public so I can wander those lovely acres again as I did as a youth -- without trespassing!