Council holds off Thompson
By Jim Ferolie Verona Press editor
Thursday 5/25/06 - The Verona Common Council sent Home Towne Center back to the drawing board Monday night.
Months after the Planned Unit Development (PUD) concept was first proposed on the site of the former Thompson property on the west side of the city, aldermen were still discontent with the idea of bringing big commercial development, especially big box stores, to Verona.
“Big box shouldn’t be in this city,” argued Ald. Bob Kasieta (Dist. 1). “It’s a bad idea, it’s a bad concept, it’s a bad vision.”
He and the other alders made a point of being respectful to the developers and their work on the plan, but Ken Harwood (D-4) was the only one who supported the concept in its current form, as the 62-acre mixed-use proposal went down 7-1.
Harwood, a former mayor of Neenah who has admitted to strong biases against “some” big box developments, particularly Wal-Mart, noted that schools depend on commercial growth keeping up with residential growth.
“I, too, have some concerns,” Harwood said. “But if we simply offer homes it’s going to create an unbalance.”
Kasieta later pointed out city statistics that have shown the rate of commercial development has been consistently exceeding the property tax valuation of residential development and that the presence of Epic Systems will ensure that for quite some time.
“The significant and major commercial area should be downtown,” he said.
Ald. Brad Stiner (D-3), who has warmed over the past few years to the idea of investing in downtown commercial development, said his constituents have complained about other PUDs the council has accepted.
“Even the successful ones are packed with cars,” he said. “I will not vote for this in any way, shape or form. … we have it made, don’t destroy it.”
Harwood and Mayor John Hochkammer both said residents often complain that there’s not enough shopping here and that they would like to be able to spend their money in Verona rather than in Madison, Fitchburg or Middleton. But Mac McGilvray (D-1) said better shopping is not worth the cost of runaway development.
“At what price of convenience … would you be willing to sell the soul of Verona?” he asked.
Regardless of their position on the development, alders all seemed to agree that once the first big commercial development gets a concept plan passes, there’s realistically no going back.
“Once you start, Katie, bar the door,” McGilvray said. “That’s not what Hometown Verona is all about. I’ll pay the extra money for gas.”
Hochkammer felt the council ought to come up with some sort of direction to give city staff so that the developers can come back with an acceptable proposal, whatever that may be.
“We have to put something on the table,” he said.
Ald. Steve Sailing (D-2) said that is a job for the Community Development Authority, a task force type of group that was created under Kasieta’s watch as mayor some 15 years ago but has been inactive lately.
“I’m not opposed to development of this property, and I do think we need some more shops and restaurants … that’s going to happen,” he said. “Whether it needs to be the percentage of 40 or 50 acres this outlines, I think is the question.”
In other business, the council:
* Approved the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) bond payment plan for the Epic parking area and got an update on its progress. City administrator Larry Saeger said the $9 million city contribution will be paid by about 2013 and the entire TIF district will be paid off about three years after that.
He also noted that the new conference center Epic is building is not part of the TIF district and will bring in significant property tax revenue into the general funds as soon as it’s built.
* Approved relocating the Badger Mill Creek interceptor and the contract to do so.
* Voted to replace a stormwater ordinance with one requiring stronger infiltration that meets county and Department of Natural Resources standards.
* Awarded construction bids for the Whalen and Westlawn reconstruction and various work on new subdivions.