A key element in the effort to develop the west side waterfront in Sturgeon Bay is the former Door County Cooperative property. Now comes word that a glitch has surfaced regarding the parcel. At a recent meeting of the Waterfront Redevelopment Authority, city Community Development Director Marty Olejniczak reported that the city was unable to get a title commitment for a large portion of the land to the south and east of the Co-op property. Apparently, there is no deed to the property which was filled in during the 1950’s and 60’s. The city has received an opinion from Madison attorney Wally Arts that the city is indeed the owner of the property. However, the title company wants some acknowledgment from the state agreeing with her opinion, so no other problems could arise in the future. A meeting with representatives of the Department of Natural Resources involving city representatives and legal experts is expected as part of the effort to clear up the glitch. In the meantime, discussions on the committee level have focused on how the projected public and private areas should be laid out for future development on the parcel.
