Damakant Jayshi
The Wausau Parks and Recreation Committee on Monday approved a request from a local group to move its ski practice and show operations from the D.C. Everest Park area to Bluegill Bay Park.
The decision, if finalized, would shift the summertime shows to Rib Mountain from its current location in Wausau’s near west side.
The committee approved amending a relevant municipal code but the change is contingent upon approval from the Park Commission, a joint body of the City of Wausau and Marathon County. The proposal is also subject to approval by the Wausau City Council and three other municipalities, one of which has already given a nod to the move. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will also have a say.
Central Wisconsin Water Ski Show Team Inc. made the request, contending that the D.C. Everest Park area ski site is too small because of their growing membership and operation. Both parks are county-owned and have access to Lake Wausau.
Parks Director Jamie Polley said the Village Board of Rib Mountain has already approved the request but only if the county allows the change. Two other municipalities, the City of Schofield and the Village of Rothschild, will also have to endorse the change. All four municipalities have ordinances regulating the Wisconsin River’s water, along with the DNR. The ski association has already sent their request to the state agency for approval, Polley said.
The Park Commission would have discussed the proposal Tuesday but that was canceled due to a lack of quorum. Polley said the commission will consider the consequences of the change, which depend in part on whether Bluegill can handle the operation based on its current uses including the number of people already using the space, traffic at the boat launch and the area of the river where the channel goes through.
Given potential concerns, Polley said, one possible option could be to approve the change for a year or two and see how it goes. If the move is problematic, she said, they could revert to its current site and change the ordinance codes again.
“We would not probably allow any of the infrastructures to be built until we know for sure that this is the safe use of this area and that there isn’t any user conflict and we will need to see if the DNR allows the jump to be moved,” Polley said.
Therefore, the staff would recommend the commission to approve the proposal only in parts, like building a temporary dock in the new location. Activities are held on Wednesday and Sunday which are relatively less crowded than some other days.
Committee member Tom Kilian said if the proposal is approved, he would like to see the void at the D.C. Everest Park be filled with some other activities that families and neighborhood residents can attend. Polley said department staff will look into that and come up with some ideas.
Member Carol Lukens said she likes the idea of the trial year or two and made the motion to amend the relevant municipal code, which was approved unanimously.
According to documents shared at the committee, the Water Ski Show Team has estimated the total project costs of moving at about $500,000. They proposed the funding could be from “a combination of grants, private and team contributions, Marathon County, and Rib Mountain/Wausau.” The project completion timeframe is five to eight years and can begin by the end of this year if the proposal is approved.
