From The Beacon

By Vaughn Larson, Tuesday, June 21, 2005

SHEBOYGAN – First there were 18, and then there were three. Then there were five, and finally six potential sites for a new police station.

Those sites, approved by members of the Common Council meeting as a Committee of the Whole last Monday night, include a three-story addition to City Hall, the county-owned land on North 23rd Street, the city’s former waste center at 19th Street and New Jersey Avenue, 13th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, South Business Drive and Broadway, and the bus transfer site across from City Hall.

Sheridan Park was not considered in the study produced by Tom Holton, city director of public works and engineering, and Paulette Enders, city director of planning and development, for the Committee of the Whole.

“No site received a perfect score,” Enders said.

City Hall scored 57 out of a possible 69 points in the study, follows by the North 23rd Street parcel with 55 points.

The bus transfer station rated 51 points, but according to city Transportation Director Ron McDonald, federal funds cover 80 percent of the operating costs for that site. Choosing it for a police station would require paying the federal government back as well as finding another transfer station –a process McDonald predicted would take years.

Still, Alderwoman Renee Suscha suggested moving the transfer station may be more convenient for bus riders.

“You could get two birds with one stone,” she said.

The southwest corner of South Business Drive and Broadway scored 47 points in the study, as did the former waste center also known as the drop-off site.

The site at 13th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue scored 44 points, based largely on its location.

Alderman James Graf called for the committee to study City Hall, North 23rd Street and the former waste center. Alderman Dan Burg requested that the committee also look at the 13th Street and Pennsylvania site and the South Business Drive and Broadway location. Suscha asked for the bus transfer station to be added to the list.

The county parcel dominated discussion Monday night. More than a year ago the county was posed to close a deal with the city that would have sent the county land to the city for cash and a municipal parking lot near the County Courthouse. But the Common Council instead followed the Building Use Committee’s recommendation to build at Sheridan Park.

Burg, an outspoken opponent of the North 23rd Street, claimed that the county parcel was a costly consideration.

“That site will be nothing but a headache,” he predicted.

Holton said that some petroleum had been found in the soil -at the county site, but said it was not a major problem.

“I think it’s a buildable site,” he said.

Graf reminded the committee that the negotiations with county government regarding the North 23rd Street site were with the former Common Council. He suggested that new negotiations would be needed.

Alderman William Stephen contended that the only reason the North 23rd Street site was still in consideration is the prospect of shared services. He called on county government to make a commitment to shared services at that site – a call echoed by other aldermen.

Burg countered that the Sheriff’s Department – the logical county agency for shared services with a new police station – has no intention to relocate on North 23rd Street.

“If they go anywhere, they will go west,” he argued. “there are 24 shared services for law enforcement between the city and county – how many more do you want?”

Alderwoman Bonnie Cerda also asked the county to pledge to pay any and all clean-up costs related to the North 23rd Street site. Alderwoman Vicky Meyer noted that state brownfield grants may be available to help with those costs.

“I submit that we don’t need a commitment (from the county),” Alderman Eldon Berg said. “We need a prenuptial.”

Stephen countered that a written commitment – or lack thereof – would show the county’s true interest in shared services with the city.

Cerda questioned whether an addition to City Hall for a new police station contradicted the desire for future expansion.

“How is the City Hall site possibly big enough?” Alderman Richard Manny asked.

Holton explained that building an addition to the north side of City Hall would leave the rest of the building intact.

“(City Hall) rated high because the city already owns it,” Holton said.

Alderman Jeff Radtke asked how large a new police station needed to be.

“How much money do we really need to spend?” he asked.

Graf reported that the city Finance Committee recommended a cap of $17 million for a new police station.

“We expect it to come in at something less,” Graf said. “We don’t have to spend 17 million if we don’t need to”.

Cost estimates provided by the Zimmerman Design Group put the cost of a new police station between $14.4 million and $16.1 million. Those estimates do not include land acquisition.

Holton also said that the former waste center would need three feet of fill to raise it above the flood plain.

Alderwoman Marge Segalle criticized the committee for not including the police department in the selection process.

Zimmerman now has 30 days to review the six sites for associated costs, property size, structure size, structure functionality and potential delays.

A public input session on the six sites will also be held in the next 30 days. The time and location of the public session has not been determined.