Plan Commission recommends five water‑utility sites as surplus, sends recommendation to council

The Waukesha City Plan Commission voted May 27 to recommend that five properties owned by the water utility be declared surplus and forwarded to the common council for final action.

Staff told the commission the five sites are mainly on the city's south side and include parcels at 1430 Southeast Avenue (about 1.7 acres), a Sunset Drive site of roughly 2 acres, 3815 Creekside Drive (a former pump house), 115 Delafield Street (adjacent to City Hall and the City Hall parking ramp), and a vacant M3‑zoned parcel on Center Road. The water utility is moving to a new headquarters on Chapman Drive and staff said department directors were asked and none expressed a need to retain the properties.

Resident Lisa Sald urged caution about the Delafield Street parcel, saying the site has historic features — fieldstone walls, a small hut and a birdbath — and asking the commission to consider whether the bridge and adjacent parking ramp should be excluded from any sale. "I would just ask that you would take a look at that and please try to preserve our cute little area that we have down there," Sald said during public comment.

Commissioner Francoeur moved to approve the recommendation to declare the listed properties surplus and send the recommendation to the common council; the motion was seconded and passed by voice vote. The commission is a recommending body; any sale or disposition must be approved by the common council.

The record and staff presentation indicate city departments were consulted about retention needs and none requested to keep the sites. Specific disposal methods, listing prices or timelines were not provided at the meeting and will be determined if and after the common council acts.