County won’t challenge Cassian wellness center CUP

The Oneida County board’s planning and development committee will not pursue an appeal of a July 25 decision by the Oneida County board of adjustment (BOA) pertaining to a conditional use permit (CUP) application for the construction of a 36-bed adolescent wellness center in the town of Cassian.

That action by the BOA overturned an April 3 decision by the planning and development committee to deny the CUP application for the facility, which was submitted by the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council (GLITC).

The planning and development committee met in closed session on Thursday, Aug. 29, to consider whether or not to pursue an appeal of the BOA decision. Planning and zoning director Karl Jennrich later reported the committee took no action “which means they’re not appealing.”

Now, he said,  personnel in his department will do their job when it comes to interpreting the conditions outlined in the CUP and investigating complaints should they arise. 

The issue goes back to the spring of 2023 when town officials became aware of GLITC’s purchase of property for the AWC.

Later, the board passed a resolution stating the town’s opposition to the project, citing items including reduction in residential property value, security concerns and an increased demand on the town’s infrastructure. 

Following the BOA’s action overturning the planning and development committee’s decision, both the committee and the town had 30 days from the filing date, Aug. 8, to decide whether to appeal.

During a special meeting on Aug. 23, the Cassian town board unanimously approved going to court to appeal the BOA decision. 

A little less than a week later, on Aug. 29, town chair Patty Francoeur told the Times for now, the decision by the planning and development committee won’t affect the town’s plans to go to court. 

She acknowledged having the planning and development committee move forward with an appeal regarding the CUP application would more than likely strengthen the town’s case. 

“Our hope was that they (planning and development committee) were going to join in,” Francoeur said. “It would have been very positive for the town if they would have joined in the fight.”

To date, the town of Cassian has spent nearly $50,000 in attorney’s fees in dealing with the GLITC matter, most of that going to Frank Kowalkowski of the Green Bay law firm von Briesen and Roper, who has begun working on the appeal to be filed in Oneida County Circuit Court. 

Francoeur said prior to the planning and development committee’s Aug. 29 meeting, Kowalkowski asked her how confident she was that the committee would “join in the fight.” 

“I told him I felt strongly they were going to,” she said. “Obviously, I shouldn’t feel strongly about anything anymore.”

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