WDOR News Director Paul Wanish was able to reach Governor Tony Evers by phone Wednesday morning with a few questions about his latest budget plans regarding the Potawatomi State Park Tower. Despite recent resolutions in the Nasewaupee Town Board and the Door County Board of Supervisors requesting immediate repairs for the tower, Gov. Evers is sticking with his plan in his latest budget which calls for a much larger project with a wheelchair ramp……….
When asked if he would possibly initiate immediate repairs on the tower using maintenance funds through the Building Committee to ensure preservation of the tower now, and not later, Gov. Evers said his plans are already drawn up and he feels they will move through the budget quickly…….
In a recent survey of our community by the Sturgeon Bay Historical Society, they learned that 91% of those surveyed are requesting for the tower to be restored now without the cost or delay of a new ramp. When asked about this option, Gov. Evers said that any plan without full accessibility is “not in the cards”………..
When asked if the tower could first be repaired now and maybe worry about the ramp later, he says that may happen, but he’s still hoping that his plan passes the Legislature quickly and work on the tower can begin soon either way……….
The Wisconsin DNR closed the popular tower in December of 2017 due to the discovery of wood decay and unsafe conditions. In January, the DNR released their proposed design options for the tower, and each option includes a wheelchair ramp. The governor’s latest budget calls for one of those plans to move forward costing approximately $6 million.
