Opposition from neighbors to a proposed lease agreement between the city of Fond du lac and Winnebago Lutheran Academy to develop a portion of McDermott Park remains strong as WLA considers its next move. The Fond du lac Advisory Park Board listened to nearly a half hour of public testimony at their meeting Monday night with all but one speaker voicing opposition to the proposal. WLA wants to enter into a 50 year lease with the city to construct ball diamonds and a parking lot on park land. The board did not take any action after receiving a memo from Public Works director Jordan Skiff that a portion of the park where the athletic fields were planned is designated as a floodway, making matters complicated and costly. But Skiff says that doesn’t mean the issue is dead. “I can still see it going forward. I think the biggest hurdle remains with WLA themselves,” Skiff said. WLA principal Dave Schroeder says he will go back to his board to see if they want to proceed given the new information. “There’s some significant changes and it may be the end of the road if our people decide they want it to be the end of the road,” Schaefer told WFDL news. “They have to make that determination.” Schroeder says there is still a possibility of building the diamonds in the flood fringe area of the park, further to the east.
