Fox Point officials approve zoning change to allow limited access to artist Mary Nohl's home
After a monthslong debate, Fox Point officials voted during Tuesday's village board meeting to allow limited access to the home of artist Mary Nohl, who adorned the property with sculptures and other art mediums.
The proposal passed 6-1, with trustee Eric Fonstad voting against the proposal for the cultural overlay.
"Let's vote for coexistence, for residents on Beach Drive, for the village and for the wider community," Fox Point Village President Douglas Frazer said during the meeting. Incoming village president, Christine Symchych, who was elected April 4, also spoke in support of the proposal under her current role as trustee.
The Mary Nohl home, at 7254 and 7328 North Beach Drive in Fox Point, is lined with sculptures and paintings.
The stewards of the home, Creation & Preservation Partners, as part of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, were given village approval for a zoning change that allows for a limited number of research groups and artists to visit the home, and to build an auxiliary building in the lot adjacent to the property.
The home will remain closed to the public, and guests will visit by invitation only.
Over the past four months, the proposal faced backlash from Beach Drive residents, who've criticized the plan for disrupting the neighborhood atmosphere with added traffic and noise. Some residents joined a group called Save the Beach Drive Neighborhood Association, who were represented by attorney John Wirth.
After receiving feedback, the center amended the proposal by shrinking the number of residents allowed on the property during two special events per year from 80 attendees to 60, including catering staff. The center also cut down the size of the auxiliary building from 4,000 square feet to 3,000 square feet.
The village received more than 800 pages of comments on their record, which was open until Feb. 20. Comments included the public hearing agenda, supplied documents from the applicant and all written comments received by the village.
Before the village closed the record, Wirth approved the amended proposal, and last month it was narrowly recommended by the Planning Commission.
During Tuesday's meeting, Fonstad said he was concerned the public was not allowed to comment after Feb. 20, and that not all residents agreed with Wirth's assessment. He attempted to pass a motion to prolong the decision and allow for a public comment session, but it was opposed by the board.
No further public comment was allowed.
"We appreciate the Village Board's vote approving the Cultural Overlay ordinance and look forward to continuing as a good neighbor and preserving Mary Nohl's house for future generations to study and learn," Amy Horst, director of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center said in a statement.
Contact Alex Groth at agroth@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @grothalexandria.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Fox Point approves zoning change to allow access to Mary Nohl home
