Ground broken on new development

Officials from Bear Realty and the Village of Paddock Lake come together to break ground at the Whitetail Ridge development on Aug. 23. From left: Jonah Hetland, Bear Realty; Paddock Lake village trustees Chris Kram, Gary Kaddatz, Gloria Walter and Barb Brenner; S. R. Mills, Bear Realty and Village Administrator Tim Popanda (Gail Peckler-Dziki/The Report).

Affordable housing arrives to Paddock Lake

By Gail Peckler-Dziki
Correspondent

Ground was broken, at least ceremonially, at the site of White Tail Ridge development in the Village of Paddock Lake on Aug. 23.

Foundations are being dug and poured for a 50-unit senior citizen apartment building and a 10 unit multi-family apartment building.

Further in the back and in the southern portion of the parcel, single-family homes will be constructed.

The development has two goals. First, to get the west end of the Paddock Lake water system underway and completed. Second, to provide affordable housing for area residents.

“The tax credits Bear receives for this project will be passed on to renters. Their rent will be in line with their income,” said Paddock Lake Village Administrator Tim Popanda.

Since development is part of the Chicago corridor, area rental properties are higher, and the credits could offer important benefits to prospective tenants.

As the property was being cleared for building, Popanda said some residents were concerned about the cutting of trees.

“We worked with some of the landowners and made sure to keep as many trees as we could around the periphery,” he said.

The trees on that parcel are high quality, walnut and oak. Popanda said those trees that were cut down would not be burned, but would become lumber.

S. R. Mills, who spearheads this project, talked about how good it feels to build in his own backyard.

“I grew up about a half-mile down the road from here,” he said.

Mills shared how current village board member Barb Brenner was his confirmation teacher.

Brenner, who spoke on behalf of the village, thanked everyone for their help in moving this project forward.
Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, who was present at the groundbreaking, spoke of the need for good, affordable housing.
“Its important for working families to have reliable, good housing, a good place to come home to.”
“Some families have to pay 30 percent of their monthly income for housing,” she said. “When they don’t have to put their money in rent, they can use that money for anything they wish to use it for.”
Affordable housing, according to Executive Director Wyman Winston of Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority, is critical for the area’s long-term future.
“When Foxconn comes in, workers will be needed,” he said. “And the workers will need affordable homes.”
Bear Development, with S. R. Mills at the helm of the Paddock Lake project, worked in partnership with WHEDA and Construction Management Associates (CMA). The project, for the senior development portion of the project, received $749,508 in tax credits during the 2017 cycle.


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