Nov. 15, 2026 10:30a
(WGTD)---The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is expected to rule later this month in a battle between environmentalists, the City of Racine and the developers of the city-owned Shoop Golf Course on Lake Michigan in Wind Point. The course is adjacent to the historic Wind Point Lighthouse.
The developers want to turn Shoop into an eye-catching dunes-styled course with revenue benefits for the city.
The plan includes clear-cutting dense brush and mature trees in a shoreline protection project that involves grading, bringing in stone, planting prairie grass and low junipers and building walking paths. The developers are prepared to cover the full $1.5 million cost. Two consultants hired by the city have endorsed the plan.
Members of the Hoy Audubon Society and others say a less intrusive method of protecting the shoreline would be better. They suspect proponents are more interesting in achieving dramatic views of Lake Michigan for golfers than they are in protecting a habitat that's a stopover points for thousands of migratory birds each year. The developers deny that's the case.
Monday is the last day for citizen input.
A public hearing was held at Racine City Hall earlier this month.
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