Olympic Village residents speak out

Last month, we reported on the ongoing expansion project at the Olympic Village mobile home community on the Village of Denmark's southeast side. In the weeks since, The Denmark News has heard from several of the community's residents who have a number of concerns with the park's management as well as their handling of the current expansion project. Last week, we visited with a few of these concerned residents and spoke with a representative of the property's ownership firm in an attempt to learn more. These residents, understandably, wanted to remain anonymous, and we have respected their requests for privacy.

The Olympic Village mobile home community is located on South Wall Street and currently hosts roughly 45 mobile home units spread across three streets. The ongoing expansion project would add an additional 50 lots to the park's east side stretching towards Wisconsin Avenue. Residents of the park pay for their own home and the concrete slab it sits on and pay rent to the park's management company for their lot. There are also additional fees charged related to the community's operational expenses. The residents are responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of their properties, and there are standards imposed by the management firm they must abide by.

For over 40 years, Olympic Village was owned and operated by longtime Denmark Middle School science teacher Dave Gremore who purchased the park in 1975. Gremore would undertake two expansions to the community, adding roughly 20 units each time and growing it to its present size. Current park residents spoke very highly of Gremore and described him as someone who took pride in maintaining and improving the community and who was always available if there was a problem. In 2019, he sold the park to an entity known as Ventnor Avenue Housing who contracts Schultz Communities of Stevens Point to manage the property.

According to the residents we spoke with, conditions in the park have gone drastically downhill since Gremore left. They cited numerous examples of improper management and poor upkeep. Chief among these, they say, was the removal of all of the park's street lamps earlier this summer without any explanation as to why.  Residents of the park called this decision "a safety concern", "inexplicable" and "just plain dangerous" and expressed concerns for anyone walking at night down the park's narrow roads. The roads themselves are another major concern with residents telling us they have been promised repairs on numerous occasions. Allegedly, the management company had told residents the roads would be redone by no later than August 1. However, no such repairs have taken place, and the community's roadways are in extremely poor condition. One could easily pick up large sections of the road piece by broken piece with nothing more than their hands. Residents also cite a "double standard" with the management firm's expectations for them and their properties with one stating, "What they do and what we do are two entirely different things."

Conditions have only worsened more rapidly with the recent expansion project with residents closest to the construction area being most affected. "We can't even walk out our door," one told us with another stating, "We never would have bought this place if we knew this would be happening…it's ridiculous." Some claim their lots have been damaged and even altered by the expansion and also believe the heavy construction equipment is causing damage to their homes. They say the work begins every day at 7 a.m. with the noise sometimes shaking their walls. They add this is made all the worse by the fact that they were not properly informed of the details of the project nor its extent. They expressed frustration that no informational meeting was held with one saying, "I knew it was going to change. I didn't know it would be so drastically bad."

If this all was not bad enough, residents tell us the park has also gotten drastically more expensive to live in. Last year, rent for the lots was increased by 41% with another 17.5% increase being added this year. This has put their rent much higher than that charged at similar area communities and has left many residents frustrated. "The whole idea of 'affordable housing' is to be affordable," one told us and mused they "might as well buy a $300,000 house at this point". What was most frustrating for some residents was the fact that one of the reasons given for the 41% increase in 2024 was to fund "planned roadwork" that has yet to take place. Some believe the increases are actually due to the increased funds needed for the expansion project with one telling us, "It's like they're using us as a piggy bank." On top of this, the residents' administrative fees have doubled and additional fees have been added.

To get a better understanding of what is occurring in Olympic Village, and in the interest of fairness, we reached out to our contact with the park's ownership firm--Caleb Morey--to get their side of the story.  Many of Morey's comments contradict what we heard from the park's residents, and they paint a very different picture. According to Morey, "All residents were informed on the expansion. We continue to provide one-on-one updates for tenants that are looking for greater detail on specific details." He continues, "We strive to provide as much information as possible and will be adding a community update board to the office space as that area is completed." When we asked if there were plans to replace the tattered streets, Morey responded, "YES we are repaving all the streets in the entire park. This has been an ongoing project, and we are repaving the entire park once the expansion work is complete." He states the streetlights in the park were removed by WPS "due to a wiring conflict with the expansion" and promises, "As construction is completed, lighting will be installed.”

When we asked Morey about the recent rent increases, he responded, "The recent adjustment reflects our efforts to balance fair, market-aligned rates with the rising costs of maintaining and improving the park, such as the ongoing street repaving and upcoming enhancements to shared spaces, as well as taxes and insurance.”  He adds, "Our goal is to keep any increases as reasonable as possible while ensuring the long-term quality and sustainability of the community."

We shared some of the anonymous comments we received from Olympic Village residents. Morey explained, "This expansion project has required significant attention from our team." He says, "Our commitment is to be fully visible and accessible to everyone in our community. We warmly encourage any resident with concerns about the project to connect directly with the park manager, who is available during business hours and onsite frequently." He adds the old gym building will be converted into a space that will be available for "drop-in meetings" where "all residents can share their thoughts and get updates".

Morey claims, "We have all the concerns being addressed," and points out some new benefits will be added for all residents when the expansion is finished. He states, "As the project is completed, it will be a safer, updated infrastructure for tenants to enjoy for years to come. We acknowledge, during construction, there can be extra concerns about changes until the project is completed." In closing, he once again encouraged residents to reach out to the park's management directly with any concerns.

Residents we spoke with expressed interest in organizing a meeting with their neighbors to address their grievances with one stating, "We need to know our rights here, and management is nowhere to be seen." Another summed up recent developments by saying, "We're paying more and getting less," adding their "reasons for living here are slowly waning". Unfortunately, for now, most of the residents we spoke with believe their problems are not over, with one saying there is "no end in sight". While Ventnor Avenue Housing may disagree, there certainly appears to be a number of issues plaguing the community and at least some degree of a breakdown in communication. We will keep readers updated on any updates or developments in this story.