Town buys Hwy. W site for new hall

The Town of Grafton this week bought a 3.9-acre property on Highway W, just north of Fire Ridge Golf Club, for its new Town Hall. 

“This was the best combination of location and price we’ve seen. It is roughly centrally located in the town with county highway access,” Town Chairman Lester Bartel told Ozaukee Press, noting the offer closed on Monday.

The town paid $230,000 for the property, which was purchased from the Lucille Ruberti Trust. Two months ago, the board met in closed session to make an offer to buy it, Bartel said.

The site, which is at 2315 Hwy. W, currently has a house, barn, granary and shed. Bartel said the town plans to remove the house. 

“We see that as the area where the hall will be built because that’s where the well and gas are,” he said.

Bartel said the property offers enough space to grow with the future needs of the town. In past discussions, officials said they want to provide additional amenities for residents, such as recycling and yard waste disposal. 

“When time comes to add a town constable, we will have a place for them to be centrally located,” Bartel said.

Bartel said he is also concerned about parking for elderly residents at the current town hall, where meetings and elections take place.

He added that the board would like to maintain the barn, which was built in 1910.

“The barn is in excellent condition and doesn’t need to be razed. What use we find for that building, we’ll see,” Bartel said. 

The current Town Hall, at 1230 11th Ave. in the Village of Grafton, is being rented for $33,000 per year. The board has set aside $10,000 to $15,000 annually toward the cost of a new hall, and the fund currently has $218,654.

Three years ago, a study conducted on options for a new hall estimated the cost of land and construction at $1.26 million.

During last year’s budget hearing, residents authorized the Town Board to purchase property or a building for a new town hall at a cost that should not exceed $1 million.

The board plans to discuss layout options and other protocols before constructing a hall.

“It’s a process we are going to start working on, and it’s important that we keep moving,” Bartel said, noting he expects the new hall to be built in two years.

Other sites the town considered were on Pleasant Valley Road, Highway W near the park-and-ride lot, and Opportunity Drive.