More than $500,000 has been raised so far to turn a piece of Oconomowoc property into a park instead of condos

The goal of raising enough money to save a piece of property in the city of Oconomowoc from becoming a condominium development is off to a good start, organizers say.

As of Oct. 23, $509,000 had been raised, according to the group Build a Park at 517. The group is attempting to raise $1.35 million by Jan. 31, 2021, so the property at 517 N. Lake Road can be turned into a legacy park.

"What really is exciting is you have people giving $10, $50, $100,000," said Oconomowoc Mayor Robert Magnus. "It really is a community legacy park. The thing I envision is a person that has donated to this park now, in 20 years they walk back to that park and say, 'I had an impact. I contributed to buying this park for our community.' The dollar amount doesn't matter. It's a way in which we can unite the community, especially during these troubling times."

In August, a tentative agreement was announced that would resolve a lawsuit between the city of Oconomowoc and the developer of WaterView Condominiums, Peter Renner. The agreement involves the properties at 517 N. Lake Road and 525 N. Lake Road, south of the Peacock Dam between Fowler Lake and Lac La Belle.

Magnus also said the 525 property is now owned by the city after the Chuck and Pat Herro family purchased the property for $600,000 and donated it to the city.

Magnus said the city council has budgeted $150,000 in the 2021 budget that was approved Oct. 20 to develop the 525 parcel into a useable walking park. The money will come out of reserve funds and it will not affect taxes for residents, according to Magnus.

Chris Both, who is one of the organizers of Build a Park at 517, and who lives near the properties, and said there are a lot of people in the city who don't want to see another condominium built.

"The walk around Fowler Lake is extremely popular," Both said. "We have a lot of people come into town to do that walk. That's a really beautiful spot. You can see both lakes from that spot. It's just a natural place for a park for people to stop on their walks and view both lakes. It would be pretty much blocked by a condominium going in there. We felt it would dramatically change the charm of that area."

Another event to raise money for the group, a pet parade and costume contest, was scheduled for noon Oct. 31 at Fowler Park. Jane Herro, an organizer for the event, said Sobie's, Crafty Cow, Stone Creek and Domino's have donated money toward prizes for the costume contest.

The entry fee for the costume contest is $15. To sign up, visit bit.ly/3nZXREK. All proceeds will go toward Build a Park at 517.

To donate, checks should be made out to "City of Oconomowoc — 517 Park" and sent to 174 E. Wisconsin Ave., Oconomowoc, WI 53066, along with the information form that can be found at buildaparkat517.com. People can also use the drop-off box on the east side of city hall. 

Donations can also be made at GoFundMe. Donations toward Build A Park at 517 will be considered tax deductible.

"This is an opportunity for people to make a difference in what their town looks like," Both said.

Contact Evan Frank at (262) 361-9138 or evan.frank@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Evanfrank_LCP.