Town of Wilson fighting back against Sheboygan, seeks approval to buy farmland
City of Sheboygan has sought to purchase and annex the land
TOWN OF WILSON — It appears the City of Sheboygan has hit a roadblock in their attempt to expand further south.
Residents in the Town of Wilson have asked the Town Board why they aren’t fighting back against Sheboygan’s push to purchase and immediately annex the Thimmig Farm. WKTS News was the first to report on May 29th that the City of Sheboygan was considering purchasing the 74.43-acre farmland. The large swath of land is south of Stahl Road, east of Moenning Road and north of Lake Aire Drive, and Deerpath Trail.
The Town Board will hold a meeting on Monday, June 30th to schedule a special meeting of town electors to authorize the township to acquire the property.
A majority vote from the voters is required for the Town of Wilson to purchase the land. Once approved by voters, the town can officially close on the property and the land will remain within the town limits. The town would likely sell the land to a developer. “This land has potential high resale value for uses of consistent values and character of the Town of Wilson and within the ordinances,” said Supervisor Nancy DesJardins. “Additionally, sales could include a non-annexation clause in the sale documents.” DesJardins pointed to the Livasu Village on Stahl Road as an example. 79-acres of farmland was by Dementia Innovations to build senior living.
RELATED: City of Sheboygan to buy Town of Wilson farmland for $1.5 million
Should town electors reject the town’s purchase the farmland, the City of Sheboygan is prepared to move forward with purchasing the property. If the city is successful in purchasing the farmland, the next step would be annexing the land into the city limits. The city had intended to offer $1,488,600 to Linda and Gary Thimmig for the property. That amounts to $20,000 per acre.
"I’m very pleased that the Town Board has made this decision to protect us from City of Sheboygan encroachment," said town resident Claudia Bricks. Just across the road from the Thimmig Farm is the 195-acre planned Gartman Subdivision. That farmland was purchased by the City of Sheboygan from the Gartman Family for $3.6 million in 2022. In the past, Mayor Ryan Sorenson said he hopes to bring low-income housing to the area. According to documents filed with the city, the subdivision could have as many as 11 separate apartment buildings, each with 63-units.
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