By Kevin Boneske
Staff Writer
HOWARD – Three parcels with 73 acres along Shawano Avenue will become a single-family home subdivision under a development agreement approved Monday, Aug. 24, by the village board.
The agreement passed 7-1 with Trustee Craig McAllister opposed and Trustee Maria Lasecki abstaining.
It includes having developer Wade Micoley purchase the entire 73 acres from Jacob Brothers for a single-family development.
In addition, the agreement calls for the village to purchase 100,000 cubic yards of fill at $1 per cubic yard from Micoley to take to Tax Incremental Financing District No. 6 to raise up the KRAM properties and other TIF properties.
The board’s motion also calls for the village to purchase 10 acres of land for $35,000 an acre for a regional stormwater pond located in the area of the single-family development with Micoley, who would proceed with the first phase of the development, financing the remainder of the public improvements.
Village Administrator Paul Evert said Micoley will rezone most of the land to R-1 Residential with the northernmost portion of property that abuts NWTC and the village’s industrial site being zoned through a Planned Development District to allow for 75-foot wide lots with the remaining lots in the subdivision being at or above the village’s 80-foot minimum width.
Evert said the village has been planning a regional stormwater facility in the area as part of the State Highway 29/County VV interchange project with a pond serving between 275 to 300 acres of land.
“It’s good from our standpoint – we’ve got a stormwater pond,” he said. “Then Mr. Micoley goes forward with the subdivision, and the good news about the subdivision is that at least a portion of the sewer interceptor, the large sewer line going through it, be developed immediately.”
Director of Engineering Mike Kaster said a clay liner will have to be put in the bottom of the pond because of the type of soils in the area.
“The soils are also fairly wet once you get below 6-7 feet,” he said.
Evert said the village is in better shape with the project developing sooner than later because of the amount of infrastructure being installed as a result of the interchange project.
“This will be a large subdivision that would have an assessed value of $45 million to $60 million at build-out,” he said.
Trustee Chris Nielsen said construction of the interchange to the west of the subdivision is driving growth in the area.
“For right now, I like what we’re doing here, because of that interchange,” he said.
McAllister said he didn’t support the agreement because “it’s neither the utility users’ or the taxpayers’ responsibilities to cover the gaps of profitability between neither a developer or an investment group that owns property in the industrial park, especially with the estimated cost of around $430,000 just to get the fill over to that (TIF) site.”
“I just don’t feel it’s a good opportunity or a good deal for the taxpayers of Howard,” he said.
McAllister said he was against installing the sewer line at this time, because there was no need for it on the west end of the village.
“We’re kind of putting the cart before the horse,” he said. “We’re basically limiting everybody out there with what they’re going to be doing with their property.”
Construction bids
In other action, the board awarded two construction bids, contingent on attorney review of contracts, to provide sanitary sewer and water main service to the State Highway 29/County VV interchange, which is being constructed by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation starting next April for a fall 2022 completion.
A bid of just under $2 million from PTS Construction was approved to install 10,500 feet of sanitary sewer and another bid of $793,571 from Superior Sewer and Water was backed to install 9,300 feet of water main.
McAllister was the only board member to oppose both bids.
Kaster said construction could begin as early as next month with work having to be completed by the end of March to comply with DOT schedules.
He said special assessments for the project will be brought forward after DOT road and storm sewer bids are received.