Stoughton vote Tuesday on annexation

By Karyn Saemann
Correspondent for The Capital Times
December 12, 2005

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At the core of the Wal-Mart debate in Stoughton has been the question of how much planning should be done before the annexation of 185 acres that would include the 20-acre Supercenter.

Other than a very preliminary snapshot of what might go on the site, Wal-Mart has not yet submitted any project plans to the city.

Among City Council members, who will vote Tuesday on the annexation, there has been disagreement over whether Stoughton's new comprehensive plan for development requires a detailed neighborhood plan to be done prior to the annexation, or merely suggests that it be done at some point before construction begins, but not necessarily before the land is brought in to the city.

In addition, there has been disagreement over whether other studies should be done prior to the annexation or at some point later in the process. These studies would include a traffic analysis of the intersection of County B and U.S. 51 and an economic development analysis of how downtown and east side businesses would be affected by the project.

Ald. Patrick Schneider cast the deciding dissenting vote when the identical annexation proposal was shot down earlier this year, and then in October he pulled the council together for a lengthy meeting on what conditions might be placed on the project if the annexation were re-considered.

In the end, the council voted to not require a detailed neighborhood plan until later in the approval process; to limit the density of housing in the surrounding new neighborhood and to require a mix of single and multi-family units; to include at least one large community park and several small parks; and to strictly adhere to the city's big-box ordinance that limits the size of large retail stores, other criteria.

Schneider said in an interview this week that he expects to vote Tuesday night in a favor of the annexation, and said he has every confidence that thorough traffic and other studies will be completed before the project gets final approval.

He stressed that supporting the annexation does not commit him to a "yes" on future traffic, zoning or other votes.

"There are still some hurdles that we are going to deal with if Wal-Mart is going to go on that property," Schneider said. "We will be dealing with a lot more detail than we have at this point."

Schneider also stressed that no matter how careful and thorough the project approval process is, the city will have challenges to manage if a Supercenter is built.

"I think with the most perfect Wal-Mart, or with any large scale development, you are going to have some problems. Some of that is not definable at this point, because we don't know what exactly is going to happen," Schneider said.

"But you can't ignore the positives," he went on, particularly that this is a low-cost shopping option available for lower income and middle class area residents.

In the more than two years that the Supercenter debate has raged in Stoughton, pro-Wal-Mart and anti-Wal-Mart groups have staked their positions.

Their efforts were continuing this week.

Buzz Davis, a member of the local anti-Wal-Mart group Stoughton Forward, said in an interview this week that existing businesses owners were drafting a letter to the council, asking that the annexation be put on hold until an economic impact study can be done.

"The city has no data whatsoever as to what would be the impact of the proposal," Davis said. "They are going blindly into this venture."

And, Davis said, many people would still like to see a referendum held on the future of big box retail stores in Stoughton.

Davis and nearly 90 other people also this week submitted a letter to Mayor Helen Johnson, asking that two City Council members abstain from the upcoming annexation vote because of potential conflicts on interest.

Davis said Ald. Dave McKichan owns a construction firm that could someday be hired to build a home in the new neighborhood surrounding the Supercenter.

Davis said Ald. Paul Lawrence is a longtime local real estate agent who could someday be hired to sell a home in the new neighborhood, or to sell a home elsewhere in Stoughton for someone planning on moving to the new neighborhood.

And Davis said McKichan or Lawrence could also someday build or sell a home in a neighborhood near the one surrounding the Supercenter, that is served by sewer and water lines that were first extended to serve the Wal-Mart project.

Davis acknowledged that the allegations are "one step removed" from having an actual conflict of interest. Neither alderman has any current connection to the project or the property. But Davis said that the potential appearance of future conflict is concern enough.

Lawrence, in response, said Davis is "grasping at straws." "There is nothing to this and he knows it," Lawrence said. "All we're talking about at this point is annexing farmland, period. I don't have a conflict of interest. These are simply pressure tactics."

Lawrence also said he has participated in other past votes on annexation and neighborhood plans without anyone suggesting that he was in conflict.

Mike Gilbert, vice president of the Stoughton pro-Wal-Mart group Alliance 53589, similarly called Davis' allegations "dubious."

"He is a person who absolutely hates Wal-Mart and will go to any community to try and stop them," Gilbert said.

Gilbert said he takes seriously speculation that Wal-Mart might close its existing store if the Supercenter is not built.

"We are interested in what is best for Stoughton, and having Wal-Mart move out of town is not in everybody's best interest," Gilbert said. "I am in favor of a full-service community."

And Gilbert said the City Council is doing the right thing by annexing the land and then doing the many studies.

"It's ridiculous to have the land owner pay tens of thousands of dollars for these detailed neighborhood plans before the annexation is approved," he said. "No developer in his right mind is going to pay those fees before the annexation. They are subjecting themselves to huge financial exposure."

Published: 9:53 AM 12/12/05