Pike Lake debate continues, Hartford residents speak out
HARTFORD, Wis. - Town of Hartford board meetings are usually pretty quiet, with only a handful of people attending. But on Monday, Feb. 5, there were roughly 100 in attendance.
That’s because a proposal is floating to close down one of three public access points to Pike Lake. A landowner wants the Town of Hartford to shut down one of those launch sites.
Based on the comments at the public meeting, the town is divided on what to do next.
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Pike Lake
Tammy Jung owns the two lots surrounding the drive. She’s asked the town to officially abandon the Second Street road, which would revert the land to Jung’s.
"Access to Pike Lake is plentiful," Jung said. "The path is rarely used, you know the town has not maintained it for years, doesn’t have the budget to do so."
The survey maps show Jung's two lots ending just before the access road. Neighbors say it should stay as the town's property, so everybody has access.
The town’s attorney said there’s no deed that ever gave the land to the town.
"[...] Since we’ve learned this is private property," Jung said. "And I’m doing the town a favor, it’s the honorable thing to do."
Hartford public meeting
But it’s considered a prescriptive easement. When the public uses it over the course of 20 years, it becomes open to the public to use.
And that’s what appears to have happened here.
"The town has always maintained that piece of property," said Ervin Weiss, who lives near access road 635. "And when you maintain a piece of property, don’t you sort of own it?"
With Jung officially asking the town to abandon the Second Street road, it’s the one way to stop public access.
Pike Lake debate; Hartford residents talk land ownership
The Town of Hartford is considering cutting off access to one of the public access points at Pike Lake.
"I just feel like it’s greedy to close it, I think it’s unfair, it’s unkind and it’s unjust," said Gina Dieball, who uses the boat launch. "It’s public property and we do use it."
Jung’s attorney said this shouldn’t be a land grab.
"This is Tammy’s land," she said. "There’s public easement across it."
She also pointed out there's a state park with boat access across the lake.
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Others who have lived here for decades said it’s always been open to the public and they want to keep it that way.
Pike Lake
"We need to keep it," said Marilyn Seebantz, who lives across the street from access road 659.
If the town does vote to abandon the access road, it would revert to Jung’s. If they approve, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources would also have to give it the OK.