Elk Mound requests more info on proposed housing development near Mound View

By LeAnn R. Ralph

ELK MOUND — The Elk Mound Village Board has requested more information about a proposed housing development that would build about a dozen duplexes and four-plexes on property directly across the road from Mound View Elementary.

Len Schreiber of Cedar Corporation, along with developers Gene Caron and Mike Ruwowski, appeared before the Elk Mound Village Board at the April 6 meeting to talk about their proposal for a housing development.

Caron, who noted that he has lived in this area for 15 years, told the village board that he has built a housing development on county Highway H about four miles south of Elk Mound and that he also has rental units in Eau Claire.

Caron said he is selling the rental units in Eau Claire, that he re-investing the money in real estate, that he plans to take advantage of Internal Revenue Code 1031 and that he is looking at different projects.

The 1031 tax code allows the “exchange” of certain types of property and may defer capital gains taxes.

The sale closes at the end of August, Caron said, adding that he would have to “get something built” by the middle or the end of February in order to maintain a tax advantage.

Caron said he has driven past the property across the road from the driveway to Mound View Elementary for 15 years and that it has diverse topography that includes slopes, ridges, valleys — and views.

“I am going to buy the property either way,” he said.

The parcel is 36.47 acres, and 15 percent is buildable, Caron said.

Fifteen percent of the parcel is equal to about 5.5 acres.

Moving forward with the housing development will depend upon the cost of utilities, Caron said.

Multi-family

Schreiber said he has been reviewing the village’s ordinances.

At the moment, the parcel is zoned Residential 1 and would have to be rezoned for multi-family housing, he said.

The development would have private wells and private septic systems, Schreiber noted.

Water is “stubbed in” to the Mound View parking lot, and a “loop” in the water system should be considered to increase water pressure. If a fire ever needed to be put out at Mound View Elementary or in the housing development, without a loop, there would not be enough water pressure, he said.

Schreiber wondered if the Village of Elk Mound had a Tax Increment Financing District that could include the proposed development.

Ruwowski noted that it is difficult to find someone in Elk Mound who is willing to sell their property for a housing development.

The development would be done in three phases, with four to six duplexes or four-plexes that would be built this year.

Plan commission

Elk Mound Village President Andy Peterson said that it would be good for Schreiber, Caron and Ruwowski to check with Eric Turner, director of the Dunn County Economic Development Corporation.

Discussions with TIF experts also would be useful to see if a TIF would be an option, he said.

Terry Stamm, village trustee and retired director of public works in Elk Mound, said two key issues would be the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin regarding water for the housing development and the state Department of Natural Resources regarding stormwater runoff from the development.

Stormwater retention ponds would be built to deal with stormwater runoff.

Mark Levra, director of public works, noted that a loop for the water main would be essential.

With 12 to 15 houses in the development, “if there is a fire, there is no pressure now. It would be really bad then,” he said.

Next step

The next step would be for Schreiber, Caron and Ruwowski to develop a site plan for the housing development and then meet with the Elk Mound Plan Commission, Peterson said.

Based upon the recommendation of the plan commission, the next step would be the ordinance revision process and a rezone, he said.

Schreiber wondered about the time frame for making a presentation to the plan commission.

The plan commission does not meet on a regular basis and only meets as needed, Hahn said.

The plan commission would most likely meet just prior to a regular village board meeting, she said.

A set of site plans for the housing development would cost about $5,000, Schreiber said.

Four to six units would be built initially, and the trees on the property would not be cut down, Ruwowski said.

Elk Mound village board members agreed that Schreiber, Caron and Ruwowski should gather more information about the housing development and then schedule a meeting with the village’s plan commission.

Other business 

In other business, the Elk Mound Village Board:

• Learned that the village’s Uniform Dwelling Code building inspector, Eric Velin, is planning to retire. Levra said he would like to become certified to be the village’s UDC building inspector. Four tests are required, and at one test per year, the certification could take up to four years, Levra said.

• Learned that the public works department had recently purchased four tires for the front-end loader at a cost of $500.

• Learned from Elk Mound Police Chief Travis Hakes that “someone in Elk Mound does not like law enforcement.” Police Chief Hakes said that the brake lines had been cut on a personal vehicle belonging to Dunn County Deputy Kyle Knots, who lives in Elk Mound, and that the lug nuts on Hakes’ personal vehicle had been loosened so that a wheel fell off while he was on his way to the collection station.

• Approved bartender operator’s licenses for Jessica Glawe and Jennifer Woolhouse.

• Approved moving forward with the paving project for the first 300 feet of Elk Mound Drive/570th Avenue (also known as “the dump road”). The project would be 300 feet at 22 feet wide and with a three-inch deep asphalt surface. The Dunn County Highway Department has estimated the cost at $12,000. The Elk Mound Village Board approved a motion to proceed at a cost not to exceed $15,000.

• Approved a motion to install two new automatic hand dryers at the Lions Club Park restrooms at a cost not to exceed $500. The automatic hand dryers would allow the towel dispensers to be removed and would save on paper product costs and labor costs for cleanup, Levra said.