Ski Sharks’ equipment storage draws neighborhood ire

The Shawano Park and Recreation Commission will need to work with the Shawano Ski Sharks on storage of the group’s equipment as neighbors are complaining the current location is an eyesore and a hazard.

Shawano resident Glen Gilbert sent a letter addressing the fact that much of the equipment that the Ski Sharks use — docks and lifts that are in the water during the summer months — is on the site of the former Shawano Medical Center and visible to all residents near Riverside Drive. The equipment had previously been located behind a fenced area in the former employee parking lot, but once the city gave the green light to homes being built on that site, it had to be moved to another area of the hospital site in the course of a week.

“Such a concentrated menagerie of equipment defiles the natural pristine beauty of the Wolf River and reduces the value of a great view that will certainly be an attraction for the new residential area,” Gilbert wrote in his letter, dated Nov. 14. “The ski show is a big attraction but has a limited season in Wisconsin’s all too short summer season. I suspect that the new residents of the area would prefer not to have their views of the river impaired with the boating equipment when it is not in use.”

Gilbert met with the commission on Jan. 20 and reiterated his concerns. He noted that, with the departure of the hospital from the area, the spot has turned into a beautiful greenscape, and the equipment detracts from the beauty.

“I realize it won’t stay that way,” Gilbert said, noting that eventually the city will develop the rest of the old hospital site into homes. “If you could just wave a wand at the end of ski season, all that equipment could leave the park.”

Brian Knapp, manager for Shawano Municipal Utilities and another person living on Riverside Drive, echoed Gilbert’s concerns and pointed out the equipment is directly adjacent to where he lives. He noted the city has put a lot of work into developing Smalley Park, and having the lifts and docks out in the open negatively impacts the look of the park.

“We find it very unappealing. It’s unsightly,” Knapp said. “It looks like somebody storing scrap metal adjacent to our residential neighborhood.”

Jeff Zander, who owns two properties in the neighborhood, expressed his appreciation for the Shawano Ski Sharks being his neighbors. His concern was less about the unsightliness of the equipment and more of the liability, as he has seen his own grandchildren and others playing on it.

“The thing that concerns me is the safety problem there,” Zander said. “I have four grandchildren who routinely use Smalley Park and love it over there, but they are of the opinion that the Ski Sharks left them a jungle gym, which Grandpa kind of has to get mean sometimes and tell them to stay off of it.”

Dave Passehl, who has been involved with the Ski Sharks for 30 years, pointed out that the organization has invested over $180,000 of its own money to develop Smalley Park, and he objected to the idea that his group decided to put the equipment where it currently is. He said that the city itself recommended the spot as a temporary measure, as the plans for the six homes in the former employee parking lot were moving forward.

“This was a total temporary fix for 2020 winter,” Passehl said. “Matt (Hendricks, park and recreation director,) and Eddie (Sheppard, city administrator,) surprised me with seven days to move things from its wonderfully stored spot and so we quickly did it. We asked them several times if it was a good idea, but it was very convenient, so that’s where we were told to put it.”

Passehl said that some of the equipment can be moved off-site without difficulty, albeit at an expense to the Ski Sharks, but other items would sustain damage if it was moved any great distance. He noted that the group is privately funded and gets no city money.

“Other than half the engineering costs, every cent for the ski site was funded by our group, sacrificing replacing equipment that needed to be replaced, to make this dream a reality,” Passehl said. “It should be noted that we also were asked to pay for the storage at the Smalley Park building; it was not part of the original agreement.”

Passehl said the push to move the equipment indicates there’s more of an issue than just storage.

“It started with that, but we’re starting to feel some pressure after investing $200,000 into your park,” he said.

Sheppard took exception to the inference that the city is not being cooperative with the Ski Sharks. He said that he told Passehl when the temporary move took place that it would not be permanent and that off-site storage might be necessary.

“You can go back through the relationship the city has had with the Ski Sharks, and I would argue you would have a very difficult time pointing out any instances where the city has not had your back,” Sheppard said.

Commission members made a variety of suggestions, ranging from moving all the equipment off-site to moving it elsewhere around Smalley Park, where residents’ views would not be impacted as much.

“I have watched the Ski Sharks since I was 2 years old,” said commission member Nickiann Myers. “I can appreciate everything you guys do, and if we can move things to the south as far as possible so that people can still sit down there in the fall … I would be fine with.”