Hartland board weighs partial fee waiver for proposed senior housing, reviews public-safety building options; approves ARPA audit and routine items

The Village of Hartland Village Board on Tuesday discussed a developer request to reduce sewer and other impact fees for a proposed 124‑unit senior living project on Campus Drive and reviewed two options for consolidating or relocating public‑safety and administrative facilities, while approving an independent examination of the village’s ARPA expenditures and several routine agenda items.

The board spent the largest portion of its discussion on a request tied to the 3Leaf Senior Living project, proposed across from Lake Country Lutheran High School. Mr. Ford, a developer representative, told the board the project faces a financing gap and asked the village to cover part of the impact and regional sewer availability charges. “We would propose that the developer pays $882,000 of this,” Ford said, referring to a table that excluded library and park impact fees and included Delhart and regional sewer connection fees. Ford said the full combined impact and sewer total is $1,265,000 and that the developer was seeking a waiver of “$382,000.”

Board members pressed for detail before expressing varying levels of openness. Trustee Tim Hallquist and others asked how the village’s estimated utility usage for the senior development was calculated; Ford said the developer relied on Trio Engineering and industry averages showing senior independent‑living units typically use about 37 percent of the water and sanitary capacity of a single‑family home, and that the developer proposed paying the percentage of the regional connection fee equal to that 37 percent. Ford said the project still faces “a gap of about $800,000.”

Several trustees and staff raised concerns about precedent and long‑term operating costs. One trustee said waiving fees effectively shifts costs to taxpayers and could create expectations for other projects; another board member asked staff to obtain comparative figures from nearby municipalities and to ask public‑safety staff about any likely increase in ambulance/fire calls tied to the facility.

The board did not vote on the fee request. President Jeffrey Fannerstil said the plan commission would continue design review and the developer would return to planning and then to the village board with additional information. Ford said the plan commission had asked the board whether it had an “appetite” to consider the proposal before the developer invested further funds.

On public‑safety facilities, the board heard a staff‑led study comparing two packages of projects and rough budget ranges. Consultants described two main options: (A) a combined public‑safety building at the Longstreet site with village administrative and voting space at Hartbrook Park, and (B) a standalone fire station at Longstreet with police and administrative/voting facilities at Hartbrook. Estimates presented placed total project budgets in similar ranges: roughly $25–30 million depending on final scope and whether a one‑ or two‑story design is selected and how much of the existing Longstreet structure is reused. Consultants cautioned that extensive selective renovation of the Longstreet fire station could be nearly as expensive as a rebuild, and recommended further cost comparisons.

Chiefs and department representatives emphasized functionality and access. The police chief said Hartbrook’s location offers easier north–south access and that either site could work operationally, but several trustees expressed a preference for locating police/administration at Hartbrook and keeping a new or rebuilt fire facility on Longstreet. The board asked staff and consultants to return with more detailed cost comparisons, including a rebuild vs. renovate analysis for the Longstreet fire station, and tentatively scheduled a follow‑up meeting.

Separately, the board approved several motions and routine items: it directed accounting firm Baker Tilly to perform the federally required examination of the village’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) expenditures; approved payment of vouchers totaling $131,035.01; approved a Class B beer and Class C wine license for Beer Snobs at Hartland Beer Garden at Nixon Park; approved an addition for Lake Country Lutheran at 401 Campus Drive as referred from the plan commission; adopted the 2026 budget preparation schedule; approved a slate of board and commission appointments; and rescheduled the May 26 meeting to May 27. Most votes were voice votes with no roll‑call tallies recorded in the minutes; the March 24 minutes were carried with two abstentions.

On ARPA, village staff explained the village received $975,000 and must undergo an examination (short of a full single audit) because the total fell under the federal single‑audit threshold; the motion directs Baker Tilly to perform that review. President Fannerstil and staff said the examination is a required accounting step to confirm eligible expenditures.

Public comment included one resident who asked the board to address pedestrian safety on East Capitol Drive. Matt Ballantine, owner of S3 Deli, described frequent near‑misses at the crosswalk adjacent to the Ice Age Trail and asked the board and police to step up enforcement and consider engineering fixes. “I see at least 15 to 20 people a week almost get smoked right there,” Ballantine said.

The board did not make final decisions on the 3Leaf fee request or on a final facility plan; both items will return with additional analysis and staff recommendations. Several trustees said they were open to continuing discussions, with requests for more detailed cost comparisons, local utility‑usage data, and comparisons to neighboring jurisdictions’ sewer and connection fees.

Votes at a glance - Approved: payment of vouchers, $131,035.01 (voice vote). - Approved: Class B beer and Class C wine license for Beer Snobs at Hartland Beer Garden at Nixon Park (voice vote). - Approved: Baker Tilly to perform examination of ARPA expenditures as required by federal rules (voice vote). - Approved: Addition for Lake Country Lutheran, 401 Campus Drive (referred from plan commission) (voice vote). - Approved: 2026 budget preparation schedule (voice vote). - Approved: board, commission and committee appointments as presented by Village President Fannerstil (voice vote). - Approved: rescheduling the May 26 meeting to May 27 due to Memorial Day (voice vote). - Approved: minutes from March 24, 2025 (carried with two abstentions) and April 14, 2025 (voice vote).

What’s next The 3Leaf senior housing proposal will return to planning commission and then the village board with refined cost and utility‑use data; staff will supply comparative figures from nearby municipalities and consult public‑safety officials about any projected effect on emergency calls. Staff and consultants will return with a more detailed cost comparison for the public‑safety options, including a teardown/rebuild versus renovate analysis for the Longstreet fire station. The board set a tentative follow‑up meeting to continue the facilities discussion.