Zoning department completes preliminary review of CUP application for Cassian facility

The Nov. 13 meeting of the Cassian town board will include an update on the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council, Inc.’s plans to build an adolescent recovery and wellness center (ARWC) on 154 acres it purchased on North Pine Square Road, according to town chair Patty Francoeur.

In September the town board passed a resolution formally opposing the project. Among other things, the board believes the facility would result in decreased property values for neighboring landowners and that “subsequent reduction in property values and economic activity will reduce the revenue and further diminish the town’s ability to meet its obligation to the citizens” of Cassian.

The proposed 36-bed facility would burden the town’s infrastructure which, the resolution states, “is not designed to and unable to support the construction and maintain the day-to-day demands” of the new center. 

The resolution also alleges that the proposed ARWC would “negatively impact the welfare, public health, and safety of the citizens of the Town of Cassian due to the increased public safety demands for a remote location already dealing with pre-existing challenges caused by long response times for EMS (emergency medical services) and/or law enforcement to respond to incidents.”

Despite the town’s vocal opposition, GLITC has submitted a conditional use permit (CUP) application to Oneida County. 

The county’s planning and zoning director, Karl Jennrich, has told The Lakeland Times that he and land use specialist Scott Ridderbusch have completed a preliminary review of the CUP application. 

“We sent them over a couple of weeks ago requests for more information and some suggestions just because of some of the controversy that’s surrounding this,” Jennrich advised. “I’ve also taken the position that this facility is an allowed use upon issuance of the conditional use permit within residential and farming zoning district because there have been people who have said they don’t believe it is allowed.”

Jennrich noted that the Oneida County board’s planning and development committee will ultimately determine whether to approve the CUP. He also said he has received a letter from Green Bay attorney Frank Kowalkowski who was hired by the Cassian town board as outside counsel on the matter. 

The letter, Jennrich said, argues the planning and development committee should deny the CUP application.  

Meanwhile, Francoeur told the Times the town’s position hasn’t changed. 

“We’re opposed to it,” she said. “And a big part of it is with the location. In our comprehensive plan, that’s why most of the businesses are on (U.S. Highway) 51. That’s a big thing and the stress on the infrastructure, I mean, we talk fire, rescue, police ... a facility like that, way out there. That’s not to say that people aren’t out there living but the traffic, the employees and that’s why our comprehensive plan states we’d like most of our businesses right off of 51 because of the access.”

Francoeur said she was scheduled to meet with Kowalkowski this week and expects to provide an update on the project during the Nov. 13 meeting.

Bainbridge response

In a four-page letter dated Oct. 31, GLITC’s chief executive officer Bryan Bainbridge formally responded to the town’s resolution opposing the ARWC. 

The letter, which was sent to the town board, the supervisors of the county planning and development committee, Jennrich, and the rest of the Oneida County Board of Supervisors, addressed the “alleged lack of consultation” with the town board about the project.

 In fact, Bainbridge said contact with the town about the project goes back to June 15, 2023, “which is documented in emails.”

“I asked to be placed on the July 10 town board meeting (agenda) to discuss the project with the town board,” Bainbridge wrote, adding that Francoeur visited him in his office on July 13 to discuss the plan, something Francoeur has acknowledged.

Bainbridge said the meeting with Francoeur led to a July 24 town hall meeting “where I shared plans and answered questions with townspeople.”

On July 31, he wrote in the letter, he invited members of the town board to a ground blessing event.

“No town board members attended,” he noted. 

He also addressed the infrastructure concerns expressed by the town as well as the concerns about the “welfare, public health and safety” of Cassian residents, property values, the town board’s request that planned construction for the ARWC cease as well as the town’s request that the county planning and development committee and the Oneida County board “deny zoning permits for this youth recovery and wellness center.”

He stressed that “the project plans follow Oneida County zoning ordinances.”

“This life-saving recovery center for youth will create jobs, infrastructure investment, and calls for plans to build workforce housing — by most accounts, a net positive for the community — without asking the town or county for a dime to support construction, infrastructure, operations and maintenance,” Bainbridge wrote. “It’s shocking to most people when they find out there’s essentially zero residential treatment facilities for youth in the Northwoods.”

Bainbridge pointed out if people are concerned about “the opioids, fentanyl, heroin and meth flowing into Oneida County and the greater Northwoods, we encourage support for construction of this adolescent treatment facility.”

“Early intervention with children, for example, is one way to reduce the growing need and costly nature of treatment for adults in the Northwoods,” he wrote. “Essentially, help youth now or pay much more later.”

Speaking to the Times about the facility, Bainbridge stressed that he is committed to transparency with respect to the planned ARWC. He also reiterated his position that the facility is needed.

“The only thing I’d ask for from the town is support in communication and partnership,” Bainbridge said. “The other part is to really understand the reason why these initiatives are moving forward and, like I said, it’s the ‘Why.’”

Brian Jopek may be reached via email at [email protected].