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Amherst begins marketing industrial park

By GENE KEMMETER
of The Gazette
The village of Amherst is marketing its new industrial park on the southeast side of the village.

The property will be developed as a TIF (tax incremental financing) District, allowing the village to recoup costs for purchasing the land and installing utilities through the revenues from increased property taxes on the property. Those revenues don't have to be shared with other taxing bodies until the district's costs for improvements have been amortized.

The land will be marketed by Portage County, the Portage County Business Council and Alliant Energy.

Village President Mike Juris said the park won't compete with the Portage County Business Park, it will complement it by offering small parcels for development.

At a special Amherst Village Board and Plan Commission meeting Tuesday, July 31, Juris thanked Tom and Victoria Justmann for selling 41 acres to the east of the Amherst Wastewater Treatment Facility to the village. The village paid $5,000 per acre, a total of $205,000, for the property.

Juris said the board and commission devoted countless hours toward the development of the industrial park, which is north of the Wisconsin Central Ltd. railroad tracks.

Spearheading the effort, he said, was Paul Kliegl, his predecessor as village president.

Kliegl said the park is another step in a process first begun in 1983 when the Krogwold brothers (Jon and Lonnie) and Harvey Olson proposed the idea adjacent to the wastewater treatment facility.

"This has been an 18-year odyssey," said Kliegl. "I've been involved for 15 years. We didn't know how it would unfold."

Development along Highway 10 on the south side of the tracks by Tomorrow Valley Co-op led to a railroad siding, and the development of a TIF district to handle that area, he said.

The industrial park will be further enhanced by rerouting County Trunks A and B around the village and to the east of the park.

Juris said the Plan Commission and the Village Board will have to fill in the vision of an industrial park, which will have good access to highways and the rail system.

The commission will evaluate the options to phase in the utilities to support development, he said.

Bruce Gerland of Earth Tech, engineers for the project, said the initial proposal calls for extending utilities to the most westward area of the park and paving Dicallen St.

The second phase, he said, would include extension of an east-west street off Dicallen and putting in casing for sewer and water extensions.

The third phase would be extension of sewer and water on the rerouted County Trunks A and B to Hawk's Nest Subdivision, the new subdivision to the east of the industrial park.

Three more phases would complete the development, he said, and extend utilities south of the railroad tracks.

Harvey Olson of OK Realty in Amherst said the park increases the potential for development in the village for the future.

Butch Pomeroy of International Bank of Amherst concurred and commended village officials for pursuing the industrial park. "I really believe that looking back 20 years from now you will be saying 'This was the thing to do,'" he said.

Portage County Board Chairman Clarence Hintz said the county is looking forward to marketing the property for the village. "You will be included in everything we do," he said.



	Amherst begins marketing industrial park By GENE KEMMETER of The Gazette The village of Amherst is marketing its new industrial park on the southeast side of the village. The property will be developed as a TIF (tax incremental financing) District, allowing the village to recoup costs for purchasing the land and installing utilities through the revenues from increased property taxes on the property. Those revenues don't have to be shared with other taxing bodies until the district's costs for improvements have been amortized. The land will be marketed by Portage County, the Portage County Business Council and Alliant Energy. Village President Mike Juris said the park won't compete with the Portage County Business Park, it will complement it by offering small parcels for development. At a special Amherst Village Board and Plan Commission meeting Tuesday, July 31, Juris thanked Tom and Victoria Justmann for selling 41 acres to the east of the Amherst Wastewater Treatment Facility to the village. The village paid $5,000 per acre, a total of $205,000, for the property. Juris said the board and commission devoted countless hours toward the development of the industrial park, which is north of the Wisconsin Central Ltd. railroad tracks. Spearheading the effort, he said, was Paul Kliegl, his predecessor as village president. Kliegl said the park is another step in a process first begun in 1983 when the Krogwold brothers (Jon and Lonnie) and Harvey Olson proposed the idea adjacent to the wastewater treatment facility. "This has been an 18-year odyssey," said Kliegl. "I've been involved for 15 years. We didn't know how it would unfold." Development along Highway 10 on the south side of the tracks by Tomorrow Valley Co-op led to a railroad siding, and the development of a TIF district to handle that area, he said. The industrial park will be further enhanced by rerouting County Trunks A and B around the village and to the east of the park. Juris said the Plan Commission and the Village Board will have to fill in the vision of an industrial park, which will have good access to highways and the rail system. The commission will evaluate the options to phase in the utilities to support development, he said. Bruce Gerland of Earth Tech, engineers for the project, said the initial proposal calls for extending utilities to the most westward area of the park and paving Dicallen St. The second phase, he said, would include extension of an east-west street off Dicallen and putting in casing for sewer and water extensions. The third phase would be extension of sewer and water on the rerouted County Trunks A and B to Hawk's Nest Subdivision, the new subdivision to the east of the industrial park. Three more phases would complete the development, he said, and extend utilities south of the railroad tracks. Harvey Olson of OK Realty in Amherst said the park increases the potential for development in the village for the future. Butch Pomeroy of International Bank of Amherst concurred and commended village officials for pursuing the industrial park. "I really believe that looking back 20 years from now you will be saying 'This was the thing to do,'" he said. Portage County Board Chairman Clarence Hintz said the county is looking forward to marketing the property for the village. "You will be included in everything we do," he said.