Village set to start cleaning Clark station site this month

Work to clean up the former Clark gas station property on Washington Street is expected to begin this month.

On Friday, May 1, a judge approved the Village’s Community Development Authority to take control of the property. 

“The judge made the decision that the process should move forward,” Village Administrator Jesse Thyes said, noting the title will not be transferred until the foreclosure process is completed.  

On April 28, the CDA agreed to enter into an agreement with the Department of Natural Resources for the village to clean and remediate the site and recommended the Village Board approve a tax cancellation agreement with Ozaukee County to forgive $16,497 in back taxes.

“We get the property with no tax debt,” Village Attorney Michael Herbrand said. “It will be wiped out with the foreclosure process.”

Community Development Director Jessica Wolff said a Petroleum Environmental Cleanup Fund Award grant the village expects to receive will cover the cost of removing gasoline contamination and conducting soil tests. The removal and demolition of the structure is expected to cost about $50,000, which is covered in the 2020 budget.

Wolff said there is likely asbestos at the site that will have to be removed along with contaminated soil.

In April, the Village Board approved allocating $275,000 from its Revolving Loan Fund program to help cover other unexpected costs for the project and for the reconstruction of 13th Avenue near Veterans Memorial Park between Washington and North streets.

In March, the Ozaukee County Board approved foreclosing on the property and allowing the village to take possession of it.

The gas station has been out of business since June 2016. The site is considered to be an eyesore by village officials because of its prominent location at the corner of 12th Avenue and Washington Street.

The DNR has removed the fuel tanks from the site, but ground contamination remains, Thyes said. In addition to cleaning up the contamination, plans call for the village to raze the building and sell the property.

“We are now ramping up efforts for environmental remediation work and then we will submit for a federal grant (PECFA) to help offset some of those costs,” Thyes said. 

Thyes said he is not certain what the future use of the site will be. “Our big emphasis right now is getting it cleaned up,” he said. “There’s a dilapidated sign, and there’s a dilapidated building that have to go away.”

The Village Board on Monday took no further action on the project. Village President Jim Brunnquell said the former gas station is the final project to revitalize Grafton’s downtown business district.

“Progress has been made,” Brunnquell said.