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County drops out of retail site

By BRIAN LEAHY
of The Gazette
Portage County has dropped out of the proposed Crossroads Commons retail development, leaving it in the hands of private developers.

The Portage County Board of Supervisors voted 26 to 1 Tuesday to authorize County Board Chairman Philip Idsvoog to enter into revised contracts for the Crossroads Commons project, the effect of which is to remove county ownership in the project's chain of title and make the county whole for any and all costs of development.
The vote was conducted in open session with no board discussion following a 25-minute closed session.

One citizen did register to speak before the vote. Amy Heart, a representative of the Portage County Greens, reiterated the Greens statement from the spring of 2003, calling the proposed "big box" retail development an example of sprawl and "car-based" development. The county's and village of Plover's desires to expand their tax bases are understandable, given an "archaic tax system" where one unit of government's growth is another's loss, she said. The county tried to "pull a fast one" with its decision last year to enter into the agreement without public input.

"This backpedaling leaves many citizens questioning the leadership of this board," Heart said.

The county's decision to leave the development to private parties comes less than a year after the County Board voted to enter into the controversial project following a closed-door meeting.

On Feb. 10, 2003, the County Board had authorized the county to enter into a land sale and development agreement for a 144-acre parcel of land south of Highway HH and east of Interstate 39. Located directly south of the Portage County Business Park, the project was initially called Marketplace of Portage County, but later renamed Crossroads Commons.

Portage County was to buy the land from the present owners, M/F Soik LLC, and then sell parcels to a private developer, which would then sell the lots to retailers. Portage County was also to develop the infrastructure at the site.

When the deal was first announced, the options and offers for the land purchase were set to close no later than Oct. 31, but in June, the County Board voted to extend the options and offers to Dec. 31. The next month, citing a soft economy, the County Board voted to extend the options and offers to Dec. 31, 2004.

The county has long had a strong interest in how the parcel develops since the Portage County Business Park opened in 1996.

In February, county officials called the proposed development a "strategic alliance" between the county and TOLD Development Co. with offices in Minneapolis, Minn., and Milwaukee; the James T. Barry Co Inc./Colliers International (the county's real estate consultants for the Business Park); and the village of Plover.

The site "will be transformed into a planned gateway development to the Stevens Point/Plover Urban Area. This project is seen as an integral piece to the long-term success of tying the Stevens Point/Plover markets together, as well as being an economic engine, creating new development opportunities in the Portage County Business Park."

Originally in the town of Plover, the Soik property has been annexed to the village of Plover, which will extend municipal water and sewer service to the site.

Smart Development Inc., a group of private businessmen opposed to the county's involvement in a commercial development project, sued the county for its role in the project, saying counties lack legal authority to engage in such a venture.

The resolution passed Tuesday also authorizes the county to spend up to $12,500 to settle all pending lawsuits regarding the project, with the county Finance Committee determining which accounts to find the funds from, and authorizing the public release of contracts involving Portage County, provided that financial information essential to the competitive nature of the transactions is removed from those documents.

In other action Tuesday, supervisors shot down a resolution which would have allowed Henry Danczyk to redeem six properties in Stevens Point that the county acquired title to due to delinquent taxes.

Danczyk's attorney, Jared Redfield, and the county Corporation Counsel's office had negotiated a deal where Danczyk could have reacquired title to the properties by paying $67,286 in back taxes, interest and costs, plus a $203 furnace repair bill the county incurred for one of the properties, by no later than Wednesday.

Danczyk had until Sept. 8, 2003, to pay the back taxes. On Sept. 23, the County Board rejected waiving a 90-day provision that would have allowed Danczyk to repurchase all of his six tax-deeded properties provided that by Nov. 1 all delinquent taxes, accumulated interest charges and costs incurred by the county were satisfied. Danczyk would have had to pay $56,656 to retain his properties, which are appraised at $272,500. The properties are rental units.

Supervisors voted in December, by a one-vote margin, to revisit the issue at the County Board's January meeting.

Supervisors voted 12 to 15 to approve the resolution.

"We look like suckers if we turn around and say, 'oh, all is forgiven,'" Supervisor James Gifford said.

Supervisor Eugene Syzmkowiak, who as chairman of the Space and Properties Committee would be involved in disposing of the properties, urged supervisors to accept the proposal so the county could get out of the real estate business. Because the properties are "grubby," the county would have the expense of hiring a carpenter to fix them up so they could be sold in order to comply with city-issued repair orders.

Idsvoog said he didn't disagree with the intent of the resolution, but said it would create a favorable condition of law for a "big" delinquent taxpayer.

"I'm more concerned about the future here, than the problem of the county getting rid of this property," Idsvoog said.

Supervisors were also concerned about setting a precedent. The County Board had voted in the past to waive the 90-day redemption provision, but only in cases where there were extraordinary conditions.

"There are no extenuating conditions here," Supervisor Robert Woehr said. "It's a situation where an individual has neglected to pay his taxes for four years and it's time for us to enforce the law."

The properties are at 133 Forest St. North, 2101 Welsby Ave., a lot on Forest Street North, a lot on Blaine Street, 555 Franklin St. and 801 Pulaski Place.

Danczyk owns at least nine more properties in the county, six of which have improvements on them, Supervisor Bud Flood said.



	County drops out of retail site By BRIAN LEAHY of The Gazette Portage County has dropped out of the proposed Crossroads Commons retail development, leaving it in the hands of private developers. The Portage County Board of Supervisors voted 26 to 1 Tuesday to authorize County Board Chairman Philip Idsvoog to enter into revised contracts for the Crossroads Commons project, the effect of which is to remove county ownership in the project's chain of title and make the county whole for any and all costs of development. The vote was conducted in open session with no board discussion following a 25-minute closed session. One citizen did register to speak before the vote. Amy Heart, a representative of the Portage County Greens, reiterated the Greens statement from the spring of 2003, calling the proposed "big box" retail development an example of sprawl and "car-based" development. The county's and village of Plover's desires to expand their tax bases are understandable, given an "archaic tax system" where one unit of government's growth is another's loss, she said. The county tried to "pull a fast one" with its decision last year to enter into the agreement without public input. "This backpedaling leaves many citizens questioning the leadership of this board," Heart said. The county's decision to leave the development to private parties comes less than a year after the County Board voted to enter into the controversial project following a closed-door meeting. On Feb. 10, 2003, the County Board had authorized the county to enter into a land sale and development agreement for a 144-acre parcel of land south of Highway HH and east of Interstate 39. Located directly south of the Portage County Business Park, the project was initially called Marketplace of Portage County, but later renamed Crossroads Commons. Portage County was to buy the land from the present owners, M/F Soik LLC, and then sell parcels to a private developer, which would then sell the lots to retailers. Portage County was also to develop the infrastructure at the site. When the deal was first announced, the options and offers for the land purchase were set to close no later than Oct. 31, but in June, the County Board voted to extend the options and offers to Dec. 31. The next month, citing a soft economy, the County Board voted to extend the options and offers to Dec. 31, 2004. The county has long had a strong interest in how the parcel develops since the Portage County Business Park opened in 1996. In February, county officials called the proposed development a "strategic alliance" between the county and TOLD Development Co. with offices in Minneapolis, Minn., and Milwaukee; the James T. Barry Co Inc./Colliers International (the county's real estate consultants for the Business Park); and the village of Plover. The site "will be transformed into a planned gateway development to the Stevens Point/Plover Urban Area. This project is seen as an integral piece to the long-term success of tying the Stevens Point/Plover markets together, as well as being an economic engine, creating new development opportunities in the Portage County Business Park." Originally in the town of Plover, the Soik property has been annexed to the village of Plover, which will extend municipal water and sewer service to the site. Smart Development Inc., a group of private businessmen opposed to the county's involvement in a commercial development project, sued the county for its role in the project, saying counties lack legal authority to engage in such a venture. The resolution passed Tuesday also authorizes the county to spend up to $12,500 to settle all pending lawsuits regarding the project, with the county Finance Committee determining which accounts to find the funds from, and authorizing the public release of contracts involving Portage County, provided that financial information essential to the competitive nature of the transactions is removed from those documents. In other action Tuesday, supervisors shot down a resolution which would have allowed Henry Danczyk to redeem six properties in Stevens Point that the county acquired title to due to delinquent taxes. Danczyk's attorney, Jared Redfield, and the county Corporation Counsel's office had negotiated a deal where Danczyk could have reacquired title to the properties by paying $67,286 in back taxes, interest and costs, plus a $203 furnace repair bill the county incurred for one of the properties, by no later than Wednesday. Danczyk had until Sept. 8, 2003, to pay the back taxes. On Sept. 23, the County Board rejected waiving a 90-day provision that would have allowed Danczyk to repurchase all of his six tax-deeded properties provided that by Nov. 1 all delinquent taxes, accumulated interest charges and costs incurred by the county were satisfied. Danczyk would have had to pay $56,656 to retain his properties, which are appraised at $272,500. The properties are rental units. Supervisors voted in December, by a one-vote margin, to revisit the issue at the County Board's January meeting. Supervisors voted 12 to 15 to approve the resolution. "We look like suckers if we turn around and say, 'oh, all is forgiven,'" Supervisor James Gifford said. Supervisor Eugene Syzmkowiak, who as chairman of the Space and Properties Committee would be involved in disposing of the properties, urged supervisors to accept the proposal so the county could get out of the real estate business. Because the properties are "grubby," the county would have the expense of hiring a carpenter to fix them up so they could be sold in order to comply with city-issued repair orders. Idsvoog said he didn't disagree with the intent of the resolution, but said it would create a favorable condition of law for a "big" delinquent taxpayer. "I'm more concerned about the future here, than the problem of the county getting rid of this property," Idsvoog said. Supervisors were also concerned about setting a precedent. The County Board had voted in the past to waive the 90-day redemption provision, but only in cases where there were extraordinary conditions. "There are no extenuating conditions here," Supervisor Robert Woehr said. "It's a situation where an individual has neglected to pay his taxes for four years and it's time for us to enforce the law." The properties are at 133 Forest St. North, 2101 Welsby Ave., a lot on Forest Street North, a lot on Blaine Street, 555 Franklin St. and 801 Pulaski Place. Danczyk owns at least nine more properties in the county, six of which have improvements on them, Supervisor Bud Flood said.