By KAREN PARKER
County Line Publisher Emeritus
It has been two years this month since a wall of water slammed into Ontario, obliterating nearly all of the downtown businesses.
Although some rebuilt after the flood, for the most part, the commercial district is a skeleton of its former self, and a number of property owners are awaiting buyouts before they can raze what is left of their buildings.
Though Ontario’s downtown historically had a need to be located on the Kickapoo for grain milling, sawing and other endeavors of the pioneer community, that is no longer the case. It has often been the victim of floods, some very severe, and few doubt thatclimate change will not increase the frequency of flooding.
To that end, the village board employed the services of Vierbicher, a planning and engineering firm, to generate a flood-recovery plan. Weighing in at 110 pages, the plan is available at the village office and will be considered at Monday night’s board meeting.
While the plan is detailed and extensive, it should be noted that it is predicated on the purchase of the Merv Taylor property, which consists of about 36 acres south of Highway 33 and west of Highway 131. Although a purchase price has been agreed on, the actual purchase remains dependent on the village acquiring funding for the project from the USDA and/or Community Development Block Grant program.
The idea of moving the downtown to that area has had mixed reviews over the past two years. Vierbicher’s apparent acceptance of that location may be on somewhat shaky ground, as only eight people attended a public workshop held last month, and most of those were neither business nor homeowners in the village.
At least one of those attending the session complained that it was not a representative sample, although the plan does reference other one-on-one interviews.
Despite whatever flaws the plan may have, it does include some interesting insights.
What to do with the vacant land once the buildings are removed drew a number of suggestions.
• Large outdoor shelter for events and concerts (such as farmer’s market)
• Public restrooms and showers
• Kids’ splash pad
• Trails
• Small shared space for tourism businesses
• RV camping
The study reveals what most of us know. Prosperity is elusive in the village.
Ontario’s median household income ($44,476) is lower than all of the other comparison geographies. The primary trade area median household income is projected to be $53,355 in 2024, compared with $50,246 for the village and $56,875 for Wisconsin. The median value of a single-family home is lower in Ontario than the comparison geographies.
Despite that, most of the housing is owned by its occupants, but there is a dire shortage of rental units and senior housing.
Perhaps even more worrisome is what Vierbicher calls a “retail gap.” They estimate that Ontario residents, forced to shop elsewhere, spend about $3.8 million out of the community.
Although Vierbicher gathered a “wish list” of businesses residents would like to see in the village, they are largely silent on how to find the people willing to make the investment.
The vision for the Taylor property is a mixture of multi- and single-family housing as well as commercial development. The report also sees tourism and organic food production as the lynch pin of any economic development in the village.
