VILLAGE OF WESTON, WI (WSAU) — Leaders in Weston voted on Monday to purchase three parcels of land at the intersection of Camp Phillips Road and Ross Avenue for a new Municipal Center.
The vote is the latest step in a search process that has gone on for nearly five years. Village Board President Wally Sparks says it started with a plan to expand at the current Municipal Center on Schofield Avenue, but that changed when this land came on the market.
“We looked at the money we would have had to put in to buy some adjacent property to have the facility fit and be as functional as possible. Then, we would have had to find a place to [send employees] off-site to work for anywhere from 12-18 months. Buying this property just made sense,” said Sparks.
The parcels are located at 4707 Camp Phillips Road and 4106 and 4204 Ross Avenue. Sparks says it gives the Village a centrally-located space on a visible intersection.
He adds that owning one corner of the intersection could give the Village and the County more flexibility to change the traffic flow in the area without impacting the other three property owners. “A lot of people wish there were turn lanes on that intersection. It’s one of the busiest we have, and a lot of accidents occur there.”
Sparks says the final price for the land will be just under $1 million. The deal should close by the end of February to give current tenants of the land enough time to make relocation plans. According to Sparks, it could be another two years before ground is broken on the new building.
Part of the purchase price would come back to the Village through the sale of the Schofield Avenue site, which could be redeveloped for retail or office space. Trustee Mark Maloney noted that would put the land in line with the surrounding parcels and better fit the Village’s master plans for the area.
Final design plans for the building have not yet been completed, and Sparks says that’s due in part to the change of plans. The designs are currently laid out with the Schofield Avenue location in mind, so the architects will now go back to the drawing board to work everything into the new corner lot. Additionally, the final size and scope of the garages and storage units are unknown because Sparks would like to start conversations with neighboring municipalities about consolidating services in the interest of saving taxpayer money.
“Most people don’t know [where the boundaries are] when they are diving between Weston, Schofield, Rothschild, Kronenwetter, and I don’t think they care. They want to have decent services for the taxes they pay,” said Sparks.
He thinks by doing so taxpayers in the area can get more or better services for their money, especially when municipal budgets are tight. “If we can share equipment and services and right-size combined departments, that makes sense.”
Sparks has experience with combining services, having served as Chief of the Everest Metro Police Department which encompasses the City of Schofield, Village of Weston, and Town of Weston. He also notes that the SAFER fire and ambulance department helps save money for its members as well. “If we can do this on a larger scale, it will save all the municipalities money if they are willing to join in and find some common ground on where we can work together.”
At a minimum, he would like to see some departments begin sharing equipment. Especially in the case of public works and street maintenance where the equipment is often expensive and extremely specialized.
“There’s a lot of duplication in equipment, and some of it is only used a few times a year,” Sparks says that means now is the time to do it since the new building is in the design stages and they can be flexible with things like garage and storage space and repair bays.
“There’s a one-time expense on increasing the building, but that [could amount to] decades in savings for our taxpayers and that is going to help us maintain our service level.”
Sparks confirmed he’s reached out to Kronenwetter, Rothschild, and Schofield. He says right now he is only looking to organize a “spitball session,” and no formal discussions are foreseen.
“It’s not about Weston or Schofield or Rothschild or Kronenwetter, it’s about everyone who lives here. Never lose sight of why we are here, and that’s to provide services. If we can do it better and cheaper by working together, then we should. That’s our obligation,” added Sparks.
