Unprecedented in Port

Port Washington’s marina district is undergoing a transformational summer, with four major construction projects that are changing the face of the lakefront.

The projects — Ansay Development’s Lake Harbour condominiums and Newport Shores development, Stephen Perry Smith’s Lakepointe townhouses and the Lanser condo development — are bringing a change to the city that, like them or not, is hard to ignore.

They bring a mix of architectural styles to a community that boasts of its historic downtown and add 56 housing units to the area, drawing a significant number of residents to the downtown, where officials believe they will be a boon to businesses and add a renewed vitality to the area.

The developments will also pump between $29 million and $32 million into the city’s tax base, officials said.

And they are supplemented with public improvements, such as the Heart of the Harbor plaza that Port Main Street Inc. is creating. The plaza, which includes a sculpture with a fire feature, will create a public gathering space.

The developments may bring the most significant change to the heart of the city since the marina itself was built in the early 1980s — and like the marina, the recent developments have proven controversial.

Those opposed to the projects say it’s too much development along the lakeshore, blocking views, causing congestion and destroying the city’s quaint, New England fishing village charm.

“For longtime residents, I can see what a shock it is. I’m sensitive to how they feel,” Ald. Jonathan Pleitner said, but the city has to move forward or risk being stuck in the past. “I do love the look of the downtown, and I think these projects will only add to that. They will help make things fresh and new.

“This is a good thing for Port Washington. These are all positive things that will make us a stronger community with a more diverse population. As long as we maintain options for people to enjoy downtown and the lakefront, this is a good thing for Port Washington.”

City Administrator Tony Brown said he believes the developments will help cement the city’s reputation as a desirable place to visit and live.

“To me, there’s no reason people should drive to Door County. They should stop here,” he said. 

The developments, he said, “means continued progress.”

While some people fear the developments will create too much congestion on the lakefront, Pleitner said he doesn’t believe that’s the case.

“I would use the adjective lively,” he said. “I wouldn’t use the word congested. It will bring people to the lakefront, and that, to me, means good things are happening.”

The city has a significant amount of green space along the lakefront for people to enjoy, he noted, and that’s part of what is attracting people to these developments and the city as a whole.

Parking, he added, may be “a little more constricted” as more people head to downtown, and that’s something city officials will need to keep an eye on.

Congestion isn’t the only concern residents have. 

The developments have a mix of architectural styles, with Lakepointe and Lake Harbour townhouses bringing a traditional feel to the lakefront while the Newport Shores and Lanser buildings have a modern feel, something many people dislike.

“I think there’s a desire for new styles of architecture,” Pleitner said. “I don’t think they’re out of place. They’re well done, and I’m confident these styles will continue to look good through the decades.”

Newport Shores, he added, “is a big building. I understand people’s thoughts and feelings about this. It’s different than Newport Shores restaurant.”

But, Pleitner added, the fact the property slopes to the east will help mitigate the impact of the building.

Brown noted that the city has a mix of architectural styles throughout the community, and the heart of downtown remains traditional.

“I do understand what people are saying. We need to maintain the character of the city, which I 100% agree with,” he said. “But we have to do that while recognizing a need to move forward and progress.”

The Newport Shores development, he said, “has a chance to be a catalytic project that signals to other developers that this is a good place to undertake a project and bring more residents downtown. To me, that’s beneficial to businesses.”

The new residents will patronize the city’s downtown shops, restaurants and bars, Brown said, and help sustain them not just during the summer tourist season but throughout the year.

And that, he added, will benefit all city residents.

While some people have expressed frustration that the new developments feature relatively high-end housing, Brown said that’s what the city should expect on the lakefront.

Pleitner agreed, saying, “It’s not for all people. It’s not for those of us with two, three, four kids who need a lot of space.”

“The number of condos that have been purchased, there’s clearly a market for it,” Brown added. 

The developers, he noted, have said most of the people buying these housing units are from the area, which means they are moving out of more affordable homes, freeing them for new buyers.

“It probably has a trickle down impact,” Brown said.

The developments will add a significant amount to the city’s tax base — Newport Shores alone is a $20 million development — and increase the city’s 2019 assessed valuation of $927 million by about 3.5%, Brown said.

In an age of levy limits, that allows the city to maintain its services instead of having to trim them, he said.

The projects are all in the city’s downtown tax incremental financing district, and all but the Lanser townhouses are receiving TIF funds to help cover the cost of such things as soil remediation and infrastructure. 

As such, the increased taxes from these units will allow the city to conduct additional public projects in the area and pay off the TIF district sooner than it otherwise could, Brown added.

In all, he said, the developments will help the city be attractive to people looking for homes or for a vacation destination.

“We’re living in a world where there are infinite places people can live,” Brown said. “If you don’t provide what people are looking for, they won’t want to be here.

“To me, it’s a question of how can we enhance what we are stewards of.”