Over the summer the New Berlin Planning Commission, who are all appointed by Mayor Dave Ament, rejected a $170 Million dollar privately funded destination youth tournament baseball complex. This complex would have been built off Grange Avenue just east of Costco/South Side of Grange and drawn thousands of families from across the country to the area every week. Those families would have patronized local businesses including restaurants, hotels, and The Ridge movie theater.
Members of the New Berlin Planning Commission told the developer the plan would not get approved. When the developer pushed for ‘next steps’ the city attorney sent a letter to the developer indicating the project was ‘not in the best interest of the city’. The New Berlin Taxpayers Alliance has a copy of this letter.
This development would have been a massive economic boon for New Berlin at a time when the City of New Berlin is crying for property tax increases. A wheel tax was explored and rejected. The city is now planning to have a referendum to allow the city to raise property taxes above the Act 10 taxpayer protections in state law.
The sports complex the City of New Berlin rejected has now been unveiled in Big Bend.
See article: https://www.gmtoday.com/the_freeman/news/youth-sports-complex-eyed-for-big-bend/article_8a6a5f6e-6c2e-50d6-a16e-77a9f79e1f98.html?
Television news report: https://www.tmj4.com/news/waukesha-county/big-bend-residents-split-on-proposed-massive-youth-sports-complex-plan
Are the New Berlin Mayor and Planning Commission acting in the best interest of the taxpayers of New Berlin? Instead of a massive economic game-changing development that would bring massive amounts of new tax revenue and profit for local businesses into the city, New Berlin approves a drug rehab facility for homeless men from Milwaukee? (see prior article on this website)
New Berlin residents wishing to express their opinion to their elected officials can find contact information for the Mayor and City Council at this link:
https://www.newberlinwi.gov/300/Common-Council
New Berlin Taxpayers Alliance 