Pike Lake debate; Hartford residents talk land ownership
HARTFORD, Wis. - It's a cherished Wisconsin lake, but now there's a proposal to cut off one of three public access points.
The Town of Hartford is considering cutting off access to one of the points at Pike Lake.
"This is a little part of paradise for all of us that live here," said resident Kathy Seebantz. "This doesn’t look like much, right? But this is a lot to a lot of people."
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Pike Lake public boat launch
For decades, you could stroll down the town of Hartford's Second Street and drop in your boat, kayak or pole at the lake.
The town hasn’t maintained the road, which runs through two lots. The homeowner owns a lot of land there and said there’s already a boat launch just 200 feet down the way.
"There's an access point 200 feet away," said the homeowner’s husband, Tom Savage. "It’s shorter, it’s wider, it’s less steep, and it’s been maintained by the town, so it’s a better access point. This is not a very good one. We don’t use this."
His wife, 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.
She said her lawyer researched it and found no documentation that the land was ever handed over to the town.
"It’s what’s called a prescriptive easement," Savage said. "Which means probably some prior owner let people use it for 20 years or more and then the town took it over."
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.
Pike Lake public boat launch
It was a big catch for Scott Tyler to be a couple houses down from a spot where he could ice fish and kayak.
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"I’m certainly disappointed. I paid a premium for that house because being how close it is to the lake and having access," Tyler said. "It’s beautiful. I enjoy walking down with a cup of coffee in the morning sometimes and just watching the sunrise.
"It also scares me because what about access for the fire department? If there’s a fire in one of these houses in the neighborhood," he continued. "It’s whatever is the quickest and the closest, they’re going to want access to the lake for water, potentially."
On Monday, Hartford’s town board will host a public hearing on whether to abandon the road.
If they approve, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources would also have to give it the OK.