Plan commission advances official‑map amendment to extend E. 20 Second Street; TIF and lot‑reservation changes discussed

The Marshfield Plan Commission on May 20 recommended amending the official map to extend the public right-of-way on East 20 Second Street east of South Nicolai Avenue, set a public hearing for June 10 and directed staff to prepare a resolution for the Common Council.

Planner Bryce Henberg presented background and a high‑level concept showing how extending East 20 Second Street to the east could provide a new connection through the Norwood/Nicolai industrial area to Yellowstone Drive and serve future industrial development. Henberg said that, given that concept, staff is proposing to remove a prior 60-foot reservation for a future roadway along 20 Fourth Street because the extension via 20 Second is the preferred alignment. He explained the city already owns a 30‑foot strip north of the orange line on the plan and that adding the south 30 feet would create a 60‑foot right‑of‑way in the official map.

Henberg noted that land transfers or lot reconfigurations tied to removing the 20 Fourth Street reservation could affect Tax Increment Financing (TIF) boundaries; any changes to TIF designations would require an amendment process before the appropriate bodies. Josh Moritz and other staff described the procedural steps: add the right‑of‑way to the official map, set and hold a Common Council public hearing, and then adopt the right‑of‑way via resolution if council approves.

During discussion commissioners asked how removing a future-reservation would affect lot ownership; staff said removing the reservation would allow Lot 2 (and potentially a combined Lot 1 + Lot 2 if parcels are consolidated) to use the previously reserved area for development that today is constrained by the reservation. Henberg summarized the staff recommendation and the commission voted to approve forwarding the official map amendment and public hearing date to the council.

Next steps: staff will prepare an official resolution and materials for the Common Council public hearing on June 10; any proposed TIF amendments would follow their own review process.