Sister Bay to Review Draft Facilities Plans Aug. 12

The village is discussing potentially moving the post office off of Bay Shore Drive. Photo by Myles Dannhausen Jr.

For 15 years, the Village of Sister Bay has been considering improvements to its array of properties and facilities one piece at a time, but on Aug. 12, the public will have a chance to review and share input on a holistic review of several facilities that the village aims to move or consolidate. 

The village contracted with Ayres Associates this summer to review many of its properties, including the parks and maintenance building on Mill Road, the village administration building, a cold-storage building on Autumn Court, the post office and various uses at the Sports Complex. 

The public will get a first chance to view possible locations and consolidations of these properties during the Aug. 12, 9 am – 1 pm, public-information session at the Sister Bay/Liberty Grove Fire Station, 2258 Mill Road in Sister Bay.

The event will be casual, with no formal presentation. Rather, members of the public can view maps and offer comments on potential locations for buildings and features. 

A second opportunity to review plans and provide input will take place during a special meeting of the Parks, Property and Streets Committee on Aug. 28 at the Village Hall to present what new buildings might look like and estimated costs. 

“We can’t design a building until we know where the facility will be located,” said Amanda Arnold of Ayres Associates. “Once we have more information about the location, we’ll know whether parking concerns are a big factor, whether the parcel is large enough, or whether there are other factors to take into consideration.”

The village first discussed moving the post office off the waterfront in 2008 as part of its Waterfront Master Plan, but post-office officials have long insisted on maintaining a location in the downtown core area. 

In December 2020, the village paid $425,000 for 56 acres to the east of the Sports Complex as a potential site for a new administration building, parks and maintenance building, recreation, and future affordable-housing development. 

The parks and maintenance building, which housed the fire department until it moved to its present location in 2004, has been eyed as a potential site for the administration building, post office or parking. 

Separate from the facilities study, an ad hoc committee has been developing recommendations for renovations and the future use of the Village Hall on Bay Shore Drive.