Wisconsin agencies seek purchase of 328‑acre city parcel; Norway council asks for appraisal and draft three‑party agreement

Representatives from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources told the Norway City Council they want to acquire a city‑owned parcel identified in the meeting as Parcel B, roughly 328 acres, to be managed for public recreation as part of the Monom River State Recreation Area.

Jay Walman, who introduced himself as "the environmental processing documentation section manager for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation," and DNR staff described a multi‑step process that would include certified surveys, an updated appraisal, modification of project boundaries now encumbered by federal land‑and‑water funding restrictions, and coordination with the National Park Service and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Walman said the agencies were not seeking a sale decision that night but were asking whether the council wanted WISDOT to proceed with surveys and a nonbinding estimate of value.

Councilors generally signaled support for proceeding to next steps. One council member cited a 2019 valuation of about $380,000 as a starting reference point; presenters said that figure will need updating. DNR staff said the agencies would keep the land in public ownership, manage it consistently with the Monom River State Recreation Area, and make modest improvements such as brush clearing and better public access.

Presenters noted technical constraints. Cheryl L., identified in the meeting as a DNR coordinator with long involvement on the parcel, explained that some parcels are encumbered by Land and Water Conservation Fund (LAWCON) restrictions and that removing land from an existing FERC project boundary is an administrative process that depends on whether the land is “necessary” for licensed project operations. The agencies said there are precedents in Wisconsin for boundary adjustments but that the process includes reviews and certifications that can extend the schedule; WISDOT estimated the city’s part of the work could take a year or more depending on FERC and other approvals.

Council members pressed for an estimate of market value and clarity on a draft three‑party agreement that would spell out city, WISDOT and DNR responsibilities. One presenter characterized the proposal as a “win‑win‑win,” saying the transfer would leave the land in public hands while relieving others of maintenance and operations obligations; presenters said the managing agency currently estimates maintenance liabilities in the area at roughly $455,000 per year. Councilors said they would welcome a draft agreement and a nonbinding appraisal but emphasized any sale or price acceptance would require a later, formal council decision.

Next steps: the council directed staff and the agencies to proceed with certified surveys, an updated appraisal and a draft three‑party agreement for the council’s review. No sale or binding commitment was approved at the meeting.