By Chris Spangler
The Fort Atkinson Plan Commission has approved a preliminary certified survey map for commercial lots on the city’s northwest side that are being purchased by PremierBank.
During its Tuesday meeting, the commission advanced to the full city council CBF Investment Co.’s proposal to create one 1.816-acre lot and a 0.532-acre outlot adjacent to Doris Drive. The address is 1504, 1520 and 1530 Madison Ave.
The parcel concurs with the city’s comprehensive plan.
City engineer Andy Selle said that the city has mapped right-of way within the outlot parcel to extend Reena Avenue north, allowing future discussions regarding the dedication of the right-of-way for connecting the street to the Fort Atkinson High School property.
Jeff Younger, the attorney representing CBF Investment, said that “it is no secret” that PremierBank, based in Fort Atkinson, plans to buy the lots.
On Wednesday, Russ Turk, PremierBank chairman, president and CEO, told Fort Atkinson Online that there is no immediate plan to build on the lot in the near future.
“At this point, we do not have any plans for the property, and our Pick ’n Save location is a great location for us,” he said, referring to the bank’s north branch. “Our timeline for this property will largely be determined by how development on the city’s west side progresses.”
He added, “PremierBank is always looking for ways to invest back into the communities we serve. As a community bank with nine locations extending from Johnson Creek to Janesville, we feel it is important to be actively involved in each of these communities. PremierBank is committed to being an independent community bank on into the future.”
Meanwhile, Younger told the Plan Commission that CBF Investment would be giving an easement to the School District of Fort Atkinson for a fiberoptic cable that runs along the north side of the properties.
He said that D.J. Scullin, director of technology for the School District of Fort Atkinson, provided a map indicating the location of the fiberoptic cable.
“That fiberoptic easement was constructed a few years ago … and he provided me with a sketch or a map which shows that fiberoptic easement runs along the north property line all the way from, essentially, Highway 26 to where there is a fiberoptic vault … and then it turns 90 degrees north toward the high school,” Younger said.
He noted that Digger’s Hotline marked the fiberoptic line and found the utility to be on CBF Investment’s properties.
“It appears that it is actually located on CBF property, not the high school’s property, for the purposes of serving the high school,” Younger said. “So somebody made a mistake by putting it on CBF’s property. We are fine without creating any issue on that. We would be agreeable to granting any easement to run along the north line, and in the meantime, we have determined that that easement will be a 12-foot strip of land along the north line of this lot.”
He said the easement is on a new certified survey map completed Monday.
Commissioner Eric Schultz asked if Younger could share who planned to develop the properties in question.
“The purpose of where this started was to develop a legal description for the last vacant lot that’s going to be sold,” the attorney said. “The discussion turned to the potential future development of an extension of Reena Avenue along the west side of this property that runs to the north and then it will turn into the high school and connect with the high school driveways, streets and rights-of-way.
“At the time CBF sells this land to PremierBank — that’s the buyer; there is no secret — and PremierBank is in agreement with all of this, it creates two lots.
Outlot one is the land that eventually will become the extension of Reena Avenue to the north,” he added.
He said that CBF Investment is under contract to sell the entire parcel to PremierBank.
“Under our contract, PremierBank has the rights to control that property, and so any agreement regarding the dedication of that strip of land for the extension of Reena Avenue in the future is something that needs to be worked out between the city and PremierBank,” Younger said.
City staff have recommended that the city council approve the preliminary survey map with a few conditions. It was unanimously approved by the Plan Commission.
A yellow outline, shown on the map above, identifies property on the city of Fort Atkinson’s north side that is being considered for purchase by PremierBank. Plans approved Tuesday by the city’s Plan Commission and submitted by property owner CBF Investment Co., call for the property to be configured into one nearly 2-acre lot and a half-acre outlot. While PremierBank has indicated it intends to buy the property, it has not determined “immediate plans,” according to a statement made Wednesday by the bank’s chairman and CEO. The map will next appear for approval before the Fort Atkinson City Council.
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