GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — A fight is brewing on Green Bay’s east side over a piece of county-owned land slated to become housing for unhoused veterans.
Supporters see an opportunity to provide shelter and counseling to dozens of Wisconsin veterans. Opponents fear the project could disrupt a forgotten burial site and challenge whether county leaders had the legal authority to give the land away.
A Vision for Veterans
Kim and Gail Nohr, the driving force behind Veterans First of Northeast Wisconsin, are transforming 3.5 acres along Saint Anthony Drive into a small community of “tiny homes.” The nonprofit envisions the site — dubbed Cottage Court — as a sanctuary for veterans in need.
“As you can see, we have a lot of the infrastructure going in now,” said Kim Nohr. “It’s been going really well.”
The plan also includes services aimed at helping residents transition back into stable living. Gail Nohr is training to provide counseling to veterans once the project is complete.
Neighbors Raise Concerns
Not everyone is on board. Members of the Schmitt Park United Residents group say the site was once part of Brown County’s 1800s “poor farm,” where indigent residents — including veterans — were buried without formal plots.
“They weren’t buried in your typical cemetery pattern,” group chairperson Hans Christensen explained. “They were scattered throughout the grounds in a rather helter-skelter fashion.”
Christensen argues that the county violated Wisconsin’s Public Purpose Doctrine, which requires public property to serve a public purpose rather than benefiting a private interest.
“The real genesis of this has been holding our government accountable,” he said. “The county is not in the business of giving away taxpayer land.”
Officials Stand Firm
Brown County Supervisor Patrick Evans maintains the project meets public purpose standards.
“The return would be that the county is going to help a bunch of veterans,” Evans said.
County leaders voted unanimously to donate the land to Veterans First, with provisions that if the project fails, the land will revert to county control.
Two Sides Dig In
Construction continues, but tensions remain. Christensen says he has been documenting the issue for nearly two years in an effort to halt the project.
“Twenty months. We’ve been at this for 20 months,” he noted. “We believe that those grounds are sacred, solid, and need to be protected.”
Meanwhile, the Nohrs say the support they have received from community members and organizations outweighs the pushback.
“It is frustrating, but we know we’re doing the right thing for the right reasons,” Kim Nohr said.
Next Steps
Archaeologists will monitor the site during construction to ensure any burial remains are respected. But as groundbreaking moves forward, Schmitt Park neighbors insist they want answers before “the first nail is hammered.”
NBC26 will continue to follow the debate over Cottage Court as work progresses.
Please stay with NBC 26 as this story develops.
