Town land to be annexed by City of Sheboygan
A new subdivision is planned north of Rolling Meadows Drive
TOWN OF SHEBOYGAN — A developer is planning a new subdivision which will necessitate town land being annexed into the City of Sheboygan.
During their May meeting on Tuesday evening, the Sheboygan Town Board voted to approve a Certified Survey Map Application from Josh Postuma of Postuma Homes. The Cedar Grove-based company is planning a new subdivision on land north of Rolling Meadows Drive. While most of the land is located in the City of Sheboygan, part of the land is within the Town of Sheboygan limits. According to Postuma, single family homes are planned and construction would start next year.
Part of the land in the town, currently owned by Chester Bahr and Dale Bahr, would be annexed into the city. The land in question is already surrounded by the City of Sheboygan. To the north, American Orthodontics owns 80-acres of land while to the south is the city’s North Field Meadows Subdivision. The Bahr family owns land to the west which is also within the city limits.
Heather Rasmussen, who operates Grandview Farm on Najacht Road, shared her concerns about the annexation. She leases land from the Bahr family to run the picturesque equestrian facility offering boarding and riding lessons. “This is all a surprise to me,” said Rasmussen. “What is going to happen to my neighbors’ taxes?” Town Chairman Dan Hein responded, “As far as the town goes, we don’t have any power.” He explained the town never likes giving up land to the city.
Postuma’s plans for new single family homes comes 30 years after the Town of Sheboygan and City of Sheboygan had a two year long annexation legal battle.
In June 1994, the Town of Sheboygan filed a lawsuit against the City of Sheboygan to prevent what they saw as a land grab by the city. The dispute started when officials from the town and city were negotiating with a developer for the Woodfield Estates subdivision. At the same time, the city purchased 35-acres in the town limits for the North Field Meadows Subdivision. In August that year, American Orthodontics successfully petitioned to have their land annexed into the city.
Daniel Merkel, founder and CEO of American Orthodontics, had plans to build as many as 150 upscale homes on the 80-acre property. Those plans never came to fruition. Merkel passed away at the age of 95 on July 31, 2024. The land remains undeveloped to this day. Postuma said the firm is not interested in working with him on his housing plans.
In 1991, Northeast Asphalt had proposed digging a quarry on 314-acres of land located west of County Road LS, south of Playbird Road and north of Jay Road. The proposal caused outrage among town residents and Mayor Richard Schneider said he was opposed to the quarry as it was directly in the path of the city's planned expansion. It also endangered Merkel’s vision of housing in the area.
American Orthodontics also owns undeveloped property north of Najacht Road and Mill Road. Of the large swath of land the company owns, only 4.12-acres is within town limits while the rest is within city limits. The land northwest of the intersection was the proposed site of the new Urban Middle School. After a survey conducted by the Sheboygan Area School District revealed the site was unfavorable to the community, the school district decided to remodel the North Avenue school instead. The Merkel Foundation also owns land east of North 21st Street between Mill Road and the Pigeon River.
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