Beloit council approves PUD master plan and land sale to Blackhawk Transport for Gateway Boulevard headquarters

The Beloit City Council approved a planned unit development (PUD) master land use plan for a portion of 2001 Gateway Boulevard and later authorized the sale of roughly 13 acres of city-owned land at that address to Blackhawk Transport to build a headquarters and vehicle maintenance facility.

The PUD master land use plan (agenda item 4b) was approved after a public hearing and a presentation by city planning staff. The council laid over the related future land use map amendment (item 4a) and the rezoning from C-3 Community Commercial District to PUD (item 4c) for later consideration.

Why it matters: The proposal would allow Blackhawk Transport to construct an office building and a maintenance and storage complex at a city-owned parcel in the Gateway area, bringing a pledged private investment and a package of city incentives that depend on final approvals and conditions, including a required wetland delineation.

City planning staff told the council that the submitted PUD covers a 12.91-acre portion to be subdivided from a 30.49-acre parcel and outlines allowed uses including one office building, a maintenance building, trailer and tractor parking, and surface parking. The submitted site plan indicates a total building footprint of 20,700 square feet (9,500 square feet for the office and 11,200 square feet for the maintenance building); a 30-foot setback; and a maximum building height of 31.5 feet. The PUD requires at least 15% open space, a minimum five-foot sidewalk along South Turtle Town Hall Road to connect to the Milwaukee multi-use path, and screening for tractor and trailer parking by means such as building wall extensions, berming, or landscaping. Planning staff also noted the DNR surface water data viewer showed potential wetland indicators and said a wetland delineation must be completed by the applicant before final PUD plan approval.

Councilor Grama asked whether a wetland finding would force the council to halt the project if the PUD were approved; a city planning staff member replied that protective-area standards in Municipal Code chapter 19 could apply depending on the delineation and that any required adjustments would be addressed during PUD final-plan (site plan) review.

After the council returned from a closed session on potential land sale negotiations, city staff presented a resolution approving a purchase and development agreement with Blackhawk Transport for approximately 13 acres at 2001 Gateway Boulevard. Under the agreement presented to the council, the buyer offered a purchase price of $65,000 and proposes to invest about $8,000,000 in buildings and site improvements. The package includes a city grant of up to $200,000 to assist with site preparation and a direct developer incentive in the form of a rebate equal to 30% of property taxes paid for up to 10 years, contingent on Blackhawk maintaining 46 full-time positions at the headquarters and creating six additional positions over the incentive period. The agreement requires construction to begin within 12 months and for the project to be completed within 18 months of start. The packet also includes a right-of-first-offer and a repurchase agreement that would allow the city to repurchase the land and improvements in limited circumstances.

Council action: Councilor Terrell moved to lay over the future land use map amendment (item 4a); Councilor Dentsch seconded and the motion carried. Councilor Denton moved to approve the PUD master land use plan (item 4b); Councilor Terrell seconded and the council approved the PUD plan. Councilor Blakely (speaker identified as moving) moved to lay over the rezoning (item 4c); the motion was seconded and carried. After closed session the council approved the resolution authorizing the sale and associated development agreement with Blackhawk Transport.

What remains: The PUD final-plan/site-plan review must resolve final utility locations, any wetland delineation findings, final easement incorporation, and signage and screening details before building permits would be issued. The city grant and tax-rebate incentive are tied to performance conditions stated in the development agreement, and the repurchase/right-of-first-offer provisions remain part of the council-approved packet.

Meeting chronology and context: The planning commission recommended approval of the PUD master land use plan and related PUD materials at its March 19 meeting by a 5–0 vote; the city council handled the items individually in the public hearings. Councilor Day recused from items 4a through 4c. The sale resolution was considered after the council went into closed session for bargaining and property negotiations and was approved on return to open session.

Sources: city planning staff presentation; applicant materials submitted by Mike Holloway for Blackhawk Transport; council motions and votes at the Beloit City Council meeting (transcript items 4a–4c and the post-closed-session sale resolution).