'We Checked All the Boxes': Gauthier Legal Team Dismisses Community Concerns at Packed Town Hall

Hours of Testimony Met With No Compromise on Noise, Construction Impact, or Environmental Safeguards

TOWN OF CEDARBURG, WI, UNITED STATES, November 21, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- When over 100 Cedarburg residents filled Town Hall on November 5th to voice concerns about a proposed 13-acre private ski lake, they expected a conversation with their new neighbors. What they got instead was a legal presentation that made one thing clear: compromise was never on the table.

Forty residents testified for hours about water depletion, aquifer risk, fuel contamination, noise pollution, and the loss of peaceful enjoyment of their properties. The Gauthier family's legal team and engineers listened politely. Then they said no to everything.

"The message was crystal clear," said Molli Wise, "Too bad. We checked all the boxes. We're doing it anyway."

The project, proposed by Michael and Stacey Gauthier, would create a 13.2-acre artificial lake requiring 35 million gallons to fill and another 17 to 20 million gallons annually to maintain. The petitioners have stated they plan to use jet skis and water ski boats on the lake, which sits approximately 500 feet from Cedar Creek.

Mike and Stacy Gauthier will not live on the property and were unable to share their longer term vision for the area.

Neighbors asked about noise mitigation. None was offered.

They asked about construction schedules and impact to adjacent properties. No accommodations were discussed.

They raised concerns about fuel and oil from motorized boats leaching into the shared aquifer that supplies private wells throughout the area. The engineers dismissed the risk.

When residents pointed out that Cedar Creek's flow can drop to as low as 2 cubic feet per second during dry periods, making the proposed water extraction a threat to downstream fishing and kayaking, the response was procedural: the application meets the legal requirements.

"I've lived next to these people my entire life," said one neighbor who asked not to be named. "We've always worked things out. You talk to each other. You compromise. This felt like we were talking to a wall."

The tone was set early in the hearing when the lead engineer representing the Gauthiers acknowledged that the project had been "maneuvered in every way possible" to avoid regulatory violations. He walked through the zoning variances, the certified survey map changes, and the strategies used to structure the application so it would pass legal scrutiny.

Then he made a comment that raised eyebrows throughout the room. He suggested there was a "snowball's chance in hell" the project wouldn't ultimately be approved, implying that sending it back to the planning commission was merely a formality to check procedural boxes and placate the community.

"That's when I realized this wasn't a hearing," Suzanne Monroe Cahill said. "It was theater."

The contrast was stark. Residents spoke from the heart about their love for Cedar Creek, their concerns for wildlife and water quality, and their fear that one private lake would set a precedent for future projects that could drain the aquifer.

They brought data from the city engineer showing how vulnerable the creek is during low-flow periods. They cited Wisconsin's Public Trust Doctrine, which holds that water resources belong to everyone, not just adjacent landowners.

The legal team responded with statutes and survey maps.

"When your neighbors build a fence, you talk," John Kastenholz of Town of Cedarburg said. "When they build a lake bigger than three football fields and tell you to get lost, something is broken."

Some residents attempted to participate via Zoom but were initially denied access, adding to the frustration. The meeting stretched late into the evening. By the time the last resident testified, it was clear the community had been heard but not listened to.

The Machata family, who own the property directly adjacent to the proposed lake site, described years of informal conversations with the Gauthiers and town officials about the project. They expressed shock that no effort had been made to address their concerns about property damage, noise, or the visual impact of a massive artificial lake next door.

"We're not against people enjoying their land," said a resident who testified. "But this isn't about enjoying your land. This is about taking 35 million gallons of our water and telling us we don't have a say."

The Town Board sent the application back to the Plan Commission for additional review following the overwhelming public turnout. But the community left the meeting with little confidence that their voices mattered.

The perception among many residents was that the town's engineers were working on behalf of the petitioners, not the public, and that the process was designed to rubber-stamp approvals rather than genuinely weigh community input.

Save Cedar Creek, formed in response to the proposal, has since mobilized hundreds of supporters and is now reaching out to state officials, including Senator Jodi Habush Sinykin's office and contacts in the Governor's office, to explore options to block the project.

The group's Facebook page has reached over 500,000 people in less than two weeks.

"They told us we don't matter," Suzanne Cahill said. "We're going to prove them wrong."

Citizens of Cedarburg
Save Cedar Creek LLC
+1 414-467-4626
email us here
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