A new 700,000-square-foot Briggs & Stratton facility could be open by April 2019 in Germantown
GERMANTOWN - The village board on Monday, June 18, approved the rezoning of 360.8 acres east of Highway 41/45 and north of Holy Hill Road, paving the way for a new industrial park and Briggs & Stratton distribution center, despite concerns from nearby residents.
Trustees voted 7-2 to reclassify the land from mixed use to industrial/office and expand the sewer service area boundary to include the land. They voted 8-1 to rezone 151.3 acres as limited industrial district; the zoning covers "... warehousing, manufacturing or fabrication operations," according to the village zoning code.
District 1 Trustee David Baum voted against both measures. District 4 Trustee Art Zabel voted against the reclassification and sewer service expansion.
Baum cited the worries of the residents and potential negative effects. He called for the village to start small and build from there, and to have a clear "master plan" for the development.
Briggs & Stratton, a manufacturer of gasoline engines, was revealed as the previously unnamed company interested in building a 702,000-square-foot facility at the site during a June 6 community development department public information listening session.
The facility is expected to bring 35 jobs to the area, with plans for expansion in the future. According to Village Administrator Steve Kreklow, the project should break ground this July, with Briggs & Stratton hoping to be able to take occupancy by April 2019.
The ability to meet this timeline was a major factor in the Wauwatosa-based company's selection of Germantown for this facility, said Kreklow. An additional 150,000 square feet is available for expansion of the Briggs & Stratton facility, according to Kreklow.
Zilber Property Group, the developer of the land for the Briggs & Stratton facility, owns 224.8 acres of the land, including the 151.3-acre industrial district. GGWW LLC owns 73.5 acres of the land, and MLG Capital owns the remaining 62.5 acres.
Zilber Property Group is also planning on bringing additional development to the area within the next few years. Zilber Property Group has 1.4 million square feet set aside for future developments.
Next: TIF financing
With the reclassification and rezoning approved, the next step is a special village board meeting June 26 at which the board is expected to approve the creation of a tax incremental financing district for the properties. The Wisconsin Department of Revenue describes a TIF district as a way to facilitate infrastructure improvements and encourage private development.
When a TIF district is created, the property values within the boundaries of the district are essentially locked. Taxes from any increase in the value of the property go to the village as "tax increment" revenue, and are used to pay for improvements made to property in the district or repaying loans issued by the village.
The TIF revenue would pay for the expansion of the sewer service area, which is about a mile south of the property and needed for development. It would also go toward necessary road repairs related to the project, according to Kreklow.
Nearby residents have mixed feelings
Kreklow said there is a lot of excitement about bringing Briggs & Stratton to the area, and a lot of interest by developers as well. Proponents of the development cited the access to I-41 and the decreasing viability of farming in the area.
But not everyone is excited about the plan. The board room was packed for the June 18 meeting, with residents making cases for both sides of the issue during the public hearing on the proposal.
Many of those who oppose the plan live in a subdivision north of the proposed development. Their concerns include worries about their well water, traffic, pollution and the timeline of the project.
News of the development first broke during an April 2 village board meeting. Kreklow said at the time that the company, which was not yet known to be Briggs & Stratton, wanted to "fast track" the development.
The village board hired a company to study the feasibility of setting up a TIF district for the project later that month. After viewing analyses, the joint review board and plan commission on June 11 recommended the plans for the development.
One resident expressed worries that Briggs & Stratton's timeline was taking priority over the needs of the Germantown taxpayers.
A common topic was a failed 2004 housing development by Miracle Homes, which one resident described as "the biggest detriment in the village of Germantown." The blasting that took place during that project damaged nearby property and wells that residents were forced to pay for.
According to resident Bill Wetterau, the site sat idle and overgrown for five years after the project foreclosed. Wetterau and his business partner, Glen Gunther, bought the land and cleaned it up in 2012. Land owned by their company, GGWW LLC, is included in the proposed TIF district.
"This is the catalyst that's going to help the development, and it’s going to help the village of Germantown," said Wetterau. "I know a lot of people aren't going to be clapping for me tonight, but I didn't come up here to be clapped for."
Wetterau received applause regardless, although so did opponents of the development. Despite the opposition, most of the trustees were in favor of the plan.
District 1 Trustee Terri Kaminski described development as inevitable and a natural step with the nearby interchange.
"We have to make peace with that by doing it correctly," said Kaminski. "To think this could ever remain farmland, it's just not even an option."
Judy Kautz is one of the residents of the nearby subdivision who spoke out against the proposed development. She was disappointed with the outcome of the vote and in her representative, District 2 Trustee Daniel Wing, who voted for the amendments.
"His constituents told him that they wanted him to vote against it, and obviously he voted for it," said Kautz.
