Springfield Council OKs land purchase

BY FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

SPRINGFIELD -- The Springfield City Council approved a purchase agreement Tuesday for approximately 15 acres of land for proposed multi-family housing project in the southeast corner of town.

According to the agreement -- approved on a motion by Lowell Helget and seconded by mayor Mark Brown -- the city will buy the land using Springfield Economic Development Authority funds and sell it back to the EDA.

The land will be bought from St. John Lutheran Home, pending synod approval, at $10,000/acre. The housing project, handled through the EDA, is expected to cost about $600,000. It will include two four-plex townhouse buildings.

A private developer is also part of the package deal and will own two of the townhouses.

City Attorney Paul Muske said he expected the deal to be closed Friday or Monday. A special assessment hearing for water, curb, gutter, and streetwork is expected to take place at the next council meeting.

Project work is expected to start late this fall or early next spring. Bonds of $450,000 and the sale of 14 lots at $11,000-$15,000 will help pay for the project.

The council also:

* Reviewed 2002 budget considerations. Budget expenses requested are $2,138,548, up 4 percent from the previous year.

* Heard Tauer's request for a handicap parking space near Dueber's parking lot and near the new firehall. Police Chief Jeff Cummins said those spots and three others, at the east end of the pool parking area, behind Dueber's parking lot and on the north side of the ambulance garage, would be spaces for handicap parking spaces.

Cummins voiced support for a petition presented to the council for a stop sign for Maple Street area residents due to the large number of children in the area.

Cummins also asked the council to order painting yellow curbs, downtown crosswalks and a crosswalk on State Highway 14 in the near future.

* Approved the purchase of siren control boxes so sirens on the north side of town can be activated by the Brown County Sheriff's Department in case of an emergency.

Control boxes cost $1,500 each.

* Approved the purchase of a new pool pump that will cost $7,600.

Cummins said a new $20,000 pool heater will be needed in the next few years.

* Learned that the joint powers board of city and school officials that operate the outdoor recreation complex will replace the fencing around the softball field before next spring's sports season