The topic of the Lake Storey expansion has been polarizing and one elected official is making his stand. Peter Schwartzman, 5th ward alderman, and mayoral candidate has come out against moving forward at this time with the expansion effort. While he says in a statement that he likes the idea of increasing the population and tax base, as well as improving recreational activities in our city, he cannot support moving forward with the project. He cites several reasons behind his decision, one of which is the contentious nature of the idea. Having sat on the city council for the last 10 years, Schwartzman says he’s never seen a more divisive topic in the community. With several seats on the city council to be decided in upcoming municipal elections, Schwartzman says it seems inappropriate for the City Council to move forward with a sizeable expense without knowing if the future council or mayor will support the initiative. The alderman says that he considered more than 100 responses received from community members and organizations as well as legal and official opinions regarding the second phase of the project. Mayoral candidate Kristine Crow has publicly been critical of the expansion.