B&B owner: Sale of city parking lot endangers business

0 Comments | La Crosse Tribune, Nov 12, 1999 | by Kent, Joan

JoAn Lambert Smith planned to use money from the sale of a farm to pay off a mortgage on the Mons Anderson House, which she bought in 1997 and converted to the Chateau La Crosse bed and breakfast.

But on Thursday, she said she no longer is sure that is the wisest thing to do with her money because she fears the sale of a city parking lot at Fifth and Cameron avenues will put her out of business. The city plans to sell the lot as part of a proposed development agreement with the Gerrard Corp., which plans to build a $1.5 million apartment/office building on the southeastern quadrant of the block.

Smith said she did not know about the plan until she read about it Thursday in the newspaper.

"Everyone who comes here parks on that lot," she said. "People who pay $200 a night for a room are not going to carry their suitcases from the ramp. I have gambled my whole inheritance and retirement on this house. They are putting me out of business. I am going to abandon this property."

Smith, 72, said she has seven rooms, and can hold events for up to 99 people.

"The city of La Crosse should have saved this house," she said. "I bought it to save it. I thought I could get my money out of it. There is not another house like this in the state. It was built in 1854, and has been occupied since then. It is the oldest continually occupied stone house in Wisconsin."

After learning of the planned sale of the lot, Smith said she contacted city officials, including John Satory, who represents the downtown area.

At Thursday's La Crosse Common Council meeting, Councilman David Morrison introduced a motion to refer the development agreement with the Gerrards until a special meeting Thursday, and Satory seconded it. "I think it's a great project, but there are some concerns of the neighbors,'' Satory said. "Hopefully, something can be worked out." He said Smith is worried that the city will not renew her license for a B&B if she does not have adequate parking.

"I didn't know so many people were using the lot," Satory said earlier Thursday. The council on Tuesday discussed the fact that employees of Franciscan Skemp's Patient Financial Services, 508 Fifth Ave. S., use the lot. In addition, Satory said he understands that employees from the Metz Bakery at Cass and Fifth avenues and residents of apartments on Cass Street use the lot.

Morrison asked that all the neighbors on the block be notified that the Gerrard proposal will be discussed at Thursday's special meeting.

"I want her to survive because of the house," Satory said of Smith . "It is such an expensive house, it's not something someone is going to buy to live in. A B&B is great for that kind of house, but you have to have parking."

Smith said when she got her license to operate the B&B in the Mons Anderson House, city officials discussed the parking. "I said my guests could use the

municipal lot, and they said OK," she recalled. She said she believed she discussed the matter with City Inspector Mark McConaughey, who could not be reached for comment Thursday.

The Mons Anderson House is just outside the downtown parking assessment area, which is

exempt from the city's ordinance that sets park ing space

requirements, city officials said. The

southern boundary of the exempt area is the north side of Cass Street, said City Planner Larry Kirch. The city ordinance requires the

owner of a B&B to provide one space for each

room for rent, he said.

"This has come up quickly," said Public

Works Director Pat Caffrey. "We have not done a study to see if the city should acquire another

lot. We have talked of possibly providing angle

parking on Cameron Avenue. There may be

some options. We just haven't had a chance to look at them yet."

On another matter relating to the Gerrard

project, Councilman Robert Slaback proposed

that the price of the property to be paid by the

Gerrards be increased from $4 to $4.71. He said that is in the middle of the range reported by City Assessor Mark Schlafer for property in the area.

The council did not act on his proposal as the whole issue was postponed until Thursday.