Waukesha board awards street and building contracts, recommends city accept school parking lot for stormwater pond

The Waukesha City Board of Public Works on Feb. 6 approved multiple construction contracts and voted to recommend the transfer of a 1.926-acre school-district parking lot for use as a stormwater detention pond.

The board voted to accept the low bid from Leilawn Contractors for the Silvernail Road Utility and Street Improvement Project, recommended the low bidder Hennis Services for HVAC work at Badger Drive, and approved a single responsive bid from Corcoran Glass LLC for door and window replacement at a Park & Rec building. It also recommended the city accept a land transfer (Tax Key 13,139,901) from the School District of Waukesha at no cost to construct stormwater detention facilities intended to reduce flooding in Area 7.

Why it matters: the Silvernail Road and related utility work are major public-works projects with multi-million-dollar contracts intended to upgrade street and utility capacity. The land transfer is tied directly to neighborhood flood mitigation around Michigan, Green Meadow, Sherrill and Summit streets; board discussion contrasted public-safety gains with potential loss of event parking near Lowell Park.

Most significant actions

- Silvernail Road Utility and Street Improvement Project: The board recommended awarding the project to Leilawn Contractors. The staff presentation described the bids as "very competitive" and reported a low bid of $2,985,434.16. The motion to accept the low bid passed unanimously.

- Badger Drive HVAC Improvements: The board recommended awarding the work to Hennis Services, the low bidder at $63,990. Staff noted part of the work had been covered earlier via a change order on a related project and said staff verified the low bidder had included the full scope. The motion passed unanimously.

- Rotary Building door and window replacement (Park & Rec): After receiving no bids the previous year, staff re-advertised and received one bid from Corcoran Glass LLC for $174,982; the board approved moving forward with that bid.

- School-district parking lot transfer for stormwater detention (Item 7A): Staff said the parcel (approximately 1.926 acres, Tax Key 13,139,901) would be transferred at no cost to the city to install a stormwater detention pond and associated piping and ditch enlargements as part of Area 7 flood-reduction work. Board members supported the transfer but raised concerns about parking for events at nearby Lowell Park and student parking pressure on neighborhood streets. One board member said the trade-off was between "public safety versus convenience." The board voted to recommend the transfer to the Common Council.

Other business and notices

- Minutes and single payment: The board approved the Jan. 23 minutes and one payment for the Northway Fence/Barstow Plaza railing replacement project (payment amount not specified in the meeting record).

- Bids open Feb. 14: Staff announced bids closing Feb. 14 for the Bethesda Court and Park Avenue Utility and Street Improvements Project and the annual sidewalk replacement project.

- Railroad coordination: Staff reported ongoing coordination with the railroad on closures at Arcadian and Hartwell; no timetable change was reported.

Board comments and concerns

During discussion of the land transfer, board members repeatedly noted the partnership with the School District of Waukesha, including permission to run a large-diameter storm sewer behind a football field to avoid routing pipe down Green Meadow and to widen a ditch on the school site to increase capacity. Several members said the permanent loss of that parking lot could make event parking more difficult and asked that the city consider long-term parking needs in the area. Staff replied the district believed it had adequate parking and that the transfer would maximize flood-reduction benefits for adjacent streets and backyards.

Votes at a glance

- Approval of Jan. 23 minutes: approved (aye votes recorded for Cassin/Castins, Kevin Riley, Chad O'Donnell, Payne). - Payment for Northway Fence/Barstow Plaza railing replacement: approved (motion passed; payment amount not specified). - Award Silvernail Road Utility and Street Improvement Project to Leilawn Contractors (low bid reported $2,985,434.16): motion passed (unanimous). - Award Badger Drive HVAC Improvements to Hennis Services (low bid $63,990): motion passed (unanimous). - Award Rotary Building door/window replacement to Corcoran Glass LLC (bid $174,982): motion passed (unanimous). - Recommend city accept transfer of approximately 1.926 acres (Tax Key 13,139,901) from the School District of Waukesha for a stormwater detention pond: motion passed (recommendation to Common Council).

What the board did not decide

The Board of Public Works recommended the land transfer to the Common Council; final approval of the parcel transfer and any resulting easements or construction contracts remains subject to council action and any required legal/administrative approvals.

Reporting detail and quotes

Staff presenting the Area 7 work said the project "will be rather disruptive, as you can imagine," and described coordination with the school district to run a storm sewer and widen a ditch through the site to increase capacity. Kevin Riley, board member, said he was concerned about event parking, asking whether the city would be "putting ourselves in a bad spot to force all that parking onto the residential streets?" Another board member replied the project prioritized reducing flood damage and "public safety versus convenience."

Next steps

The board forwarded its recommendation to the Common Council on the land transfer; staff will proceed with bid administration and contract award processes for the approved projects and publish the Feb. 14 bid closings as announced.