Verona council directs staff to pursue Wayland purchase and solicit market interest for Range Trail site

The Verona Common Council directed staff to begin purchase discussions for a property on Wayland Road as the preferred site for a new public works facility and to solicit market interest in the city-owned Range Trail parcel, council members said Monday night.

The move matters because the city has identified a long‑standing need to replace and expand its public works facilities; council members and staff said proceeds from a Range Trail sale could help offset construction costs for a new facility.

City staff and council members discussed two tracks: (1) pursue acquisition negotiations for a Wayland Road parcel that staff and public works believe offers better access and expansion potential, and (2) issue an RFI/RFP for the roughly 20‑acre Range Trail site to determine highest‑and‑best private uses and market value. Mayor Luke Diaz said staff should continue discussions with the Wayland property owner and that staff should bring a draft market solicitation back to council for review; staff aimed to return the draft by the July 14 meeting.

The city engineer and public works staff emphasized site suitability. A staff member summarized the Wayland parcel appraisal and noted logistics advantages. “I prefer the the Wayland site. I think it’s got better accessibility,” Mr. Manning, a public works staffer, told the council. Council members repeatedly said they wanted to avoid selling Range Trail until an acceptable new site is secured.

Council members debated RFI versus RFP procedures and timing. Alder Lytle recommended an initial market outreach (an RFI) to raise developer interest quickly, then a targeted RFP if needed. Attorney Kleinmeyer and staff clarified a legal requirement that any materials shown to the council at a meeting must be viewable simultaneously by virtual attendees under the public meetings law.

Council direction to staff was procedural (no ordinance change or binding sale was approved). Staff was authorized to pursue further discussions with the Wayland owner, prepare a market solicitation for Range Trail with flexibility to attract competitive offers, and return the solicitation to council for review before release. Staff said the Range Trail RFI/RFP could be ready for council review by the July 14 meeting.

Council members noted practical constraints: the Range Trail appraisal exists but market offers are likely to provide the decisive price, and the Wayland site appraisal covers a larger acreage and is contemplated as the preferred long‑term public works location. Several alderpersons also urged that any sale proposals be evaluated for both price and community objectives (for example, housing), not purely on highest bid.