Sister Bay to Dedicate Park

Sister Bay will dedicate the new Sister Bay Waterfront Park Thursday, July 17.

The new addition will double the size of Sister Bay’s waterfront.

The dedication will feature a ribbon-cutting ceremony, a rendition of the National Anthem by Miss Door County, Kim Sawyer, and recognition of key figures in the park’s development.

Village Trustee Sharon Doersching said the dedication is the culmination of phase one of the park development project.

“The maintenance department guys have been working like crazy to get the park ready,” she said. “They deserve a lot of credit. This is tremendous change in less than a year’s time.”

Doersching said grants have been applied for and the village now awaits approval from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to move forward on shoreline alterations.

“The next phase is to expand the sand beach,” she said, which will require the extension of the swimming pier and removal of one or both of the piers left behind from Helm’s motel.

The park was made possible when the village board voted to purchase the Helm’s Four Seasons property in April of 2006 for $4.9 million. That decision effectively doubled the size of the village waterfront and led to a comprehensive re-evaluation of the downtown business and recreational district.

A citizens advisory committee was formed to evaluate priorities for the new park, eventually settling on a plan that includes the gradual phase-in of a silent water sports launch, volleyball courts, historical information signage, green space, new restrooms and changing facilities, and a sprawling sand beach.

Work is also moving ahead at Sister Bay’s other major recreational facility, the Sister Bay Sports Complex. The village will soon open bids to lay down the concrete surface for the ice rink there and is now prepared to move the baseball field. The dog park is also ready for use.