Its a waste of time

Town officials react to Aurora ruling

Waukesha Freeman, Mar. 24, 2006

BY ERIK BROOK
Freeman Staff
ebrooks@conleynet.com

TOWN OF SUMMIT Paul Schmitter fears the months from April 2004 to December 2004 the time he and other town supervisors spent poring over Aurora Health Cares plans for a new Pabst Farms hospital in his community were a waste.

The Waukesha County Board overturned those plans last May, and the decision Thursday dismissing the town of Summits and Auroras lawsuit seeking to have that decision overturned only lends more credence to those beliefs, he said.

We should really be allowed to make our own decisions. Otherwise, its a waste of time, Schmitter said. We were diligent. We tried to keep it as fair and open as possible.

I feel like I put a lot of effort in, and it was wasted.

Circuit Court Judge Mark S. Gempeler dismissed Auroras lawsuit Thursday.

The case, brought in May, argued that the county board overstepped its authority in blocking a unanimous decision by the town board to allow construction of an $85 million, 88-bed hospital in Pabst Farms from proceeding.

It claimed that county officials did not focus on land use concerns in making their decision but rather acted illegally in considering issues like health care costs and competition in voting to deny master plan changes and rezoning necessary for the hospital to be built.

County officials said they acted appropriately and as prescribed by state law, which requires county boards to sign off on many town development decisions.

For years, town officials have considered incorporating as a village or city in order to remove the county board veto power, but they have no immediate plans to do so, officials said.

Even so, Thursdays ruling sent the wrong message, Chairman Leonard Susa said.

There was no deference given to the town of Summit, he said.

Summit Town Supervisor Kraig Arenz went further. He said the town was shown to be second-class citizens with the county board decision and Aurora suit dismissal.

Yes, we are a municipality in Waukesha County, but what we want doesnt really carry any weight, he said. What is up with that?