Elmbrook board approves sale of vacant Hillside property with 10-year deed restriction

The Elmbrook School District Board of Education voted to approve the sale of the Hillside property, adding a 10-year deed restriction on the parcel and directing administration to finalize paperwork for the buyer. The motion to approve the resolution with a 10-year deed restriction passed on a roll call vote with six yeses and no no votes; one seat (previously held by Linda Boucher) was absent.

Board members said the decision reflected the district's long experience with the unused building and repeated estimates that keeping or demolishing the structure would be expensive. Superintendent Mark Hansen told the board the building has been unused as a school since the 2011–12 school year, “the building would be requiring over a million dollars worth of investments in the next 3 summers,” and that annual maintenance runs “roughly $50,000 annually.” Hansen also reported demolition estimates of about $1 million from the district’s construction partner; he characterized the bids as carrying environmental contingencies that could change final cost.

The board heard from neighbors and other residents at a public hearing before the vote. Resident Peter Stoll asked directly, “What are the ongoing costs?” and said he wanted to be convinced the sale would be “a good deal for the district and a good deal for the taxpayers.” Colliers broker Joe Eldridge described market and development constraints, saying construction prices and related costs have risen since 2021 and that stormwater and site engineering present additional challenges. “Construction prices have literally doubled,” Eldridge said, and noted stormwater management and soil conditions as site-specific variables that affect the parcel’s value.

Board members who supported the sale said the district had considered multiple options over several years and that status quo was not viable. Board member Sam Hughes said, “The value of a piece of property is only worth what someone's willing to pay for it,” and discussed the practical limits on what the district could obtain given demolition and site-development costs. Board member Mary Wacker said the building is “past its life” and described mold and other conditions that make continued ownership expensive; she said she supported the sale only because the deed restriction limits certain future uses.

Several speakers urged caution about traffic and zoning outcomes. Resident Angie Pingel asked the board to note language in the contract addendum that allows the buyer “in their sole discretion” to build condos or residential housing and said that wording could permit higher-density results that would increase traffic in the neighborhood. Board members said approvals of final development plans are within the City of Brookfield’s local land‑use authority and that the district is constrained in how much it can contractually limit future municipal approvals beyond the deed restriction it adopted.

The board said the sale was intended to avoid the district incurring demolition costs and ongoing maintenance while also responding to neighbor concerns. Members emphasized they had sought reputable buyers and had declined offers judged inconsistent with neighborhood expectations; some said the board prioritized a residential buyer over higher commercial offers when evaluating proposals.

Votes at a glance - Motion to move action item 5c (Hillside sale) to the top of the agenda: passed (voice). - Resolution approving sale of Hillside property with a 10-year deed restriction: passed on roll call, 6–0 (Preetha Kurdiara — yes; Kathy Lim — yes; Mary Wacker — yes; Sam Hughes — yes; Jean Lambert — yes; Scott Wheeler — yes; Linda Boucher — absent). - Consent agenda (items A and C): approved (voice). - Consent agenda item B (personnel matters, including a resignation): approved (voice). - School-year calendars (2025–26 and 2026–27): approved (voice). - Recommendation on open-enrollment seats for 2025–26 (no new seats): approved (voice). - WASB/WOSB delegate authorization motion (direct delegate how to vote on listed resolutions, with discretion for floor amendments): approved (voice). - Appointment of delegate to WASB/WOSB: Preetha Kurdiara appointed delegate, Jean Lambert alternate (voice). - Recent gifts to the district (donations total $16,721.46 for October 2024): approved (voice).

Clarifying details - Property status: Hillside has been unused as a school since the 2011–12 school year. (source: superintendent remarks) - Ongoing maintenance: administration estimated roughly $50,000 per year to maintain the building and…