Port town incumbents face familiar challenger

Town of Port Washington voters may get a sense of déjà vu when they look at the April 2 ballot.

The same candidates who ran for town supervisor two years ago are on this ballot — challenger Terry Anewenter and incumbents Mike Didier and Gary Schlenvogt.

The three men are vying for two seats on the Town Board. Running unopposed on the April 2 ballot are Town Chairman Jim Melichar and Treasurer Mary Sampont.

Anewenter, 64, of 3693 Hwy. KK, said he wants to give people a choice on the ballot, adding, “I believe I could be a servant to the town.”

He said he was motivated to run by the Town Board’s decision to buy two properties on Highland Drive adjacent to the Town Hall, land he said officials paid too much for.

“I think they could have played the waiting game,” Anewenter said, noting he was especially frustrated by the $80,000 spent to buy the deteriorating property adjacent to the Town Hall. “I think they were way too eager. No one was beating down the doors to buy the place. It was an unsaleable property.”

The town paid $165,000 for the property at 3703 Highland Dr. and $80,000 for the land at 3709 Highland Dr. It plans to raze the house adjacent to the Town Hall and use the land to expand its garbage and recycling operations, and to continue renting the other house with an eye to someday sell it for development.

Didier, 44, of 4627 Hwy. KW, said that the price officials paid was close to the assessed value of the properties.

“That’s what they (the sellers) wanted,” he said. 

While he didn’t want to buy both parcels, Didier, a real estate agent with Re/Max United in Port Washington, said, the seller would only part with both properties, not just one.

In the long term, he noted, the purchase is an investment for the town.

“We’re buying it for the long term so someone else can do something with it,” Didier said.

Schlenvogt, 69, of 2415 Hawthorne Dr., said he believes the price was fair, especially since the town is collecting rent on the corner property, which is in a prime location for redevelopment.

“We know that eventually our town will be expanding with a city connection to sewer and water, and there’s so much that can be done,” he said.

When utilities come to the town, he said, development will follow.

“Being that close to the highway (I-43), it’s valuable, valuable land,” he said.

Schlenvogt said he’s looking forward to completing the expansion of the town’s recycling and waste collection on the other property, saying it’s “been a big need for the community.”

Unlike Schlenvogt, Anewenter said he doesn’t believe there will be much development of the Knellsville area for the foreseeable future.

“I think that’s a pipe dream,” he said. “I don’t think it can bring enough of a customer base.

“I’d like to see it stay pastoral and the way it is. I’m not anti-progress, but I think it’s doing just fine the way it is.”

Anewenter said he is concerned about the loss of town land to annexation, saying he appreciates the rural lifestyle that the town offers.

“There’s development creep,” he said. 

But Didier said that as the economy continues to improve, development in Knellsville is more likely, especially since it’s the next undeveloped area along the freeway.

“Things could change overnight,” he said, although he doesn’t believe city utilities will be extended to the area anytime soon.

Schlenvogt concurred, saying, “I feel it’ll come, it’s just a matter of time. A lot of things have to fall into place, but once we have that option, I believe development will follow.”

And while the city is annexing more land, Didier said, the border agreement negotiated years ago is ensuring it’s done properly, adding the town should consider extending it in the future. 

  Anewenter said the town needs to be sensitive to property owners’ rights, keeping in mind that a one-size-fits-all approach isn’t right for all areas of the community.

He said he is wary of measures like the proposed regulation of shipping containers in the town, calling it “almost like a hysterical response.”

“There’s not a proliferation of them,” he said. “It’s not a problem.”

He also said he wants to see the town seek out more bids when offering contracts for services from snow plowing to tree trimming.

The town has advertised these contracts, but few people have submitted bids, Didier said, adding that’s frustrating for him, too.

“It could be that our town projects are small,” he said. “We’re not getting three or four bids, we’re getting one, two at the most.”

For services such as plowing and general road work, Didier said, officials have been pleased with their current contractor.

“If you’re getting good work at a good price, why seek bids?” he asked.