Menominee leaders seek public input on revitalization plan
Menominee County and tribal leaders are taking public input on the master plan, giving Keshena, Neopit and nearby communities a say in future land use and capital projects.
Menominee tribal and county leaders asked residents to weigh in on a community revitalization effort July 22, opening a joint planning process that could shape Keshena, Neopit and other Menominee County communities. Menominee County says that input is being gathered through the Menominee County Planning Commission as part of the Menominee County Master Plan, which the county says will identify opportunities and issues to guide future community development and land use.
The county describes the Planning Commission as a public body responsible for guiding land use and capital improvements. County calendar and committee pages carried the same call for public participation in the master-plan survey, showing that the request is running across county offices rather than through one isolated announcement. The Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin Community Development department is listed at 2794 Go Around Road in Keshena, anchoring the tribal side of the effort close to the communities it will affect.
The geography of the plan reaches beyond one village. A University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension Menominee Project Summary says Menominee Nation members live in five main communities: Keshena, Neopit, Middle Village, Zoar and South Branch. A separate local framing of the revitalization effort described it as a chance for residents to reimagine community spaces, services and experiences, with examples that included a playground, splash pad, coffee shop, artist gallery, auto repair shop and laundromat.
The emphasis on streets, gathering places and access to everyday services has older roots in Menominee County and on the reservation. In August 2020, UW-Extension Menominee County/Nation reported that residents were disproportionately affected by obesity and had limited access to places to be physically active. Partners used Wisconsin’s Active Community Toolkit and completed three walking audits to look for ways to improve community design, land use and active transportation.
That history helps frame why a master plan survey matters now. The county says the plan will guide future goals for community development and land use, which means comments gathered now can influence where leaders focus investment, what kind of neighborhood growth they pursue and which public spaces or services rise to the top.
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