Council debates public works site; staff directed to pursue appraisals and options including land swap

The Verona Common Council spent an extended portion of Monday’s meeting reviewing the multi‑year planning process for a new Public Works facility and discussing whether the city should keep the lot it bought in 2018 on Range Trail West (the former “Purple Cow” property) or pursue an alternate site, including potential land-swap options in the Wayland/Liberty Business Park area.

City staff and consultants reviewed the project's timeline: the city purchased the property in 2018 for $2,700,000 after a multi‑party negotiation that reduced the acreage the city needed and allowed adjoining development. Since 2020 the city has worked with consultants on a conceptual building design; staff said design work has been paused at times for budgetary reasons but that a site-plan review could be completed within months if the council confirms the existing site.

Council members expressed competing priorities: several said the Wayland area offers better topography, multiple access points and room for future expansion; others emphasized the financial sunk costs and potential value of the Range Trail property if sold or repurposed for housing. The council did not vote to change the approved site but instead directed staff to commission appraisals and provide comparative cost estimates for purchase, annexation and road improvements for potential alternate properties.

History and options reviewed

- Site selection history: Planning staff explained the city’s 2017 feasibility review identified a 12–18 acre need and an 80,000–90,000 square‑foot building to sustain operations with projected growth. Range Trail West was chosen as a relatively flat, expandable site and the city annexed and rezoned the property after purchase.

- Design work and costs to date: city staff said consultants have worked on the building concept since 2020 and the city has incurred costs for feasibility studies, design work and legal/annexation fees. Staff confirmed the city paid annexation‑related host‑community taxes and legal fees associated with that process.

- Alternate sites: Councilors raised the Liberty Business Park/Wayland corridor as an alternate site. A staff member reported an asking price figure for a nearby Wayland parcel at roughly $10 per square foot (approximate), which would put 15.4 acres near $6.6 million at that asking rate, though the broker indicated a motivated seller might consider lower offers.

- Timing and permitting: staff said if the council keeps the current site inside the city the site‑plan process (initial review, optional neighborhood meeting, plan commission site‑plan review) could be completed in roughly three months. Selecting property outside the city would require annexation, potential urban service‑area adjustments and a CARPC (county/regional) process, which staff estimated could extend the timeline to about 18 months.

Staff recommendations and council direction

Staff outlined several next steps to clarify the city’s options: obtain appraisals for the Range Trail property and any potential swap parcels, prepare a cost estimate for required road and utility extensions on alternate sites, and model financial outcomes (sale vs. swap vs. hold) for the existing Range Trail parcel. The council generally agreed to those next steps; staff said an appraisal typically costs several thousand dollars.

Selected quotations

- Catherine Holt, community development specialist: “In 2018 the city purchased the Purple Cow property for $2,700,000 … the property was annexed into the city and rezoned to public institutional.”

- Brian Manning (Public Works): “For this site in particular … the design is there. It is buildable. Now, there may be reasons why you don't want to do it. But it is functional.”

- Brian Kleinmeier (city attorney): “One of the reasons why we’re here tonight is the council is contemplating potentially putting the public works facility a different location. You absolutely can do that if you want to.”

- Public works staff on access and expansion: staff and some councilors said the Wayland area provides better access, multiple entrances and more land for future expansion; others said the current property is a strategic asset that could be repurposed for housing and is already entitled and partially designed.

Financial and procedural context

- Purchase history: the Purple Cow parcel (Range Trail West) was acquired for $2,700,000 in 2018. Annexation of land required payments to the town of Verona for five years of tax equivalents as part of the acquisition process.

- Cost drivers for alternatives: acquiring outside‑city parcels may require annexation and infrastructure extensions, and staff flagged potential road improvements to Wayland as an additional cost. Initial broker feedback put a nearby Wayland parcel at roughly $10 per square foot as an asking price; staff described that figure as preliminary.

Council next steps and implementation risk

Council members directed staff to obtain appraisals for the Range Trail property and for candidate Wayland parcels, to model a possible land swap, and to prepare comparative cost estimates for purchasing new land versus repurposing or selling the existing parcel. Staff reported appraisals typically cost roughly $3,000–$5,000 per appraisal. Council did not take a binding vote to abandon or proceed with the current Range Trail site; instead, it sought more financial detail before a final commitment.

The discussion closed with council members noting competing priorities — controlling near‑term costs and timelines for Public Works versus retaining a city asset that could support affordable or mixed housing in the future — and asking staff for an appraisal and a written analysis for a future meeting.