STURGEON BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Sturgeon Bay's common council has approved rezoning waterfront property for a controversial hotel plan.
The move Tuesday night came despite hundreds of people voicing opposition to the plan at the council meeting.
“We already have that kind of stuff,” Linda Cockburn of Sturgeon Bay told FOX 11. “We have two areas that have boutique hotels.”
To fit everyone, the meeting had to be held in the fire department’s garage. For half an hour, people took turns explaining why they don’t want a four-story, 76-unit hotel going up on this property near the Oregon Street Bridge.
“Currently capacity for both lodging and restaurants in the city is in excess and I don’t think the city needs to further exacerbate that problem,” Stephen Hellmann of Sturgeon Bay said, according to FOX 11.
Despite no one from the public speaking in favor of the plan, the council members voted 6-0, approving a zoning change, making way for the hotel.
“No comment, I don’t have any comment tonight,” said Mayor Thad Birmingham when asked if he felt an obligation to talk to the people after having so many people speak in opposition.
The hotel plan, however, is not a done deal yet. Developers behind the plan were not at the meeting to explain what is next in the process.
(Additional reporting from FOX 11).