Officials call latest plan for Cedar Vineyard the real deal

ubdivision on Port Washington’s far southeast side was enthusiastically received by city officials last week.

While plans for the subdivision have been stalled for much of the last six years, several aldermen said they believe the downsized plan presented last week is one that will move ahead.

They credited Tom Swarthout of Highview Group, who came up with the concept for the subdivision and has stuck with it through the years, and Ascend Real Estate Group of Chicago, which is working with Swarthout on the plan.

“I do think this is going to be a little bit different,” Ald. Jonathan Pleitner said. “Having a new group behind this initiative, I’m optimistic.”

Ald. Paul Neumyer concurred, saying he believes that Ascend, a Chicago-based firm, will bring the financial wherewithal to get the development on track.

“To me, it appears he (Swarthout) got someone in Illinois who thought the project was worthy,” Neumyer said. “I’m glad he found someone who understands his vision. 

“They appear to have financing in place. I think it’ll go ahead. It’s a nice project.”

They said they were also heartened by the fact Swarthout told aldermen that the project engineering has been done and the project has been bid out already. 

“We’re ready to go,” he said.

The Common Council last week heard a presentation by Swarthout and Nick Patera,  senior vice president of Teska Associates and the planner for the subdivision.

The next night, the Plan Commission heard a similar presentation and recommended rezoning the property to accommodate the proposal, conditioned on plans for Cedar Vineyard moving ahead. The commission also approved a preliminary plat and certified survey map for the subdivision.

The Cedar Vineyard plan is a scaled-down version of Swarthout’s original plan, which would have also encompassed the Clay Bluff Cedar Gorge Nature Preserve to the south that Ozaukee County and the Ozaukee Washington Land Trust are working to purchase.

The revised plan calls for 45 single-family lots to be built on 70 acres between Highway C and the Lake Michigan bluff north of Cedar Gorge.

About a third of the property will be residential, a third will be vineyards that will serve a winery planned for four acres on the west side of Highway C currently owned by the Tillman family, and the remaining third will be open space, including two miles of public bike and pedestrian trails and bluff and beach access, Patera said.

Swarthout said he is working with the county and Land Trust to create a bridge over the gorge and a switchback staircase to the beach similar to the one at Lions Den Gorge Nature Preserve in the Town of Grafton south of the proposed development.

The lots are about a half acre, he said, adding that the houses are expected to be “squashed down, more of a cottage feel rather than large mansions.”

Each of the lots features picturesque views, Patera said, either of the lake, vineyards or gorge.

The average size of the houses is expected to be about 3,500 square feet, Swarthout said, with the cost of the house and lot coming in between $750,000 and $1 million.

Members of the Common Council and Plan Commission praised the plans.

“It’s going to tie in really nicely to the Land Trust property to the south,” commission member Eric Ryer said.

Commission member Ted Neitzke added, “This will be a real nice addition to the community as we seek to be a destination.”

Officials also praised the fact that the subdivision is likely to open even more land on the city’s south side for development.

While most officials praised the rural feel of the subdivision, Ald. Mike Gasper disagreed, saying he prefers a more urban development with more housing to bring additional tax revenue to the city.

“This does not end up bringing in the revenue we need comparable to the cost,” he said.

Gasper also questioned how the developer would slow traffic on Highway C, where the speed limit is 45 mph

Swarthout said that Ozaukee County is requiring turn lanes, but added there is little chance of convincing the county to lower the speed limit.

The winery, which would also serve as a clubhouse for the development, will be housed in an old barn and run by Steve and Maria Johnson, who own Parallel 44 Vineyard and Winery in Kewaunee and Door 44 Winery in Sturgeon Bay, Swarthout said, noting the couple have been part of the plan since it was first forwarded in 2015.

“He’s still excited about coming in,” he said.

There is still a significant amount of work to be done before Cedar Vineyard becomes reality.

The Common Council is expected to consider the rezoning when it meets Tuesday, March 2, and a tax incremental financing district approved for the original Cedar Vineyard plan will need to be amended to reflect the current proposal, something City Administrator Tony Brown said will likely be done in April.