“We can’t magically rezone property when you haven’t told us what you want.”

City of Marinette Mayor Steve Genisot is pushing back after a local newspaper published claims that the City has been uncooperative in discussions over rezoning portions of the former UW–Green Bay Marinette Campus. In a written statement, Genisot says the article presented an incomplete and inaccurate picture of the City’s involvement, and notes the City was never contacted for clarification prior to publication. According to the Mayor, no formal rezoning application has been submitted to the City for the fieldhouse or any of the remaining campus buildings, meaning there is no proposal for the City to act on. Genisot also says the City has received no meeting requests from Marinette County on the matter, and has not been updated on the County’s Letter of Intent, its negotiations with the YMCA, or the work of the ACC community group exploring possible future uses for the campus. He adds that zoning decisions require clear, defined intentions, and points out the County stated publicly that it “does not know what they want to do with the property.” Without a stated use, he says rezoning is not possible. The Mayor also addressed a reported request for a letter of support, saying the City simply asked for basic clarification on the property’s intended use and never received any information back. Genisot called references to possible legal action over zoning “premature and inappropriate,” given that no formal application has been filed and no discussions have taken place.  He says the City of Marinette remains ready and willing to review any complete proposal through its established public zoning process, and asks that future reporting include the City’s perspective so residents receive accurate information.