Town to begin assessing sites for new hall

The Grafton Town Board last week directed staff to begin assessing properties for a new Town Hall.

The town is considering assessing six to eight properties, but the specific locations were not discussed in detail at the board’s March 11 meeting.

In past discussions, the board referred to former Countryside Camper and We Energies sites, Precision Excavating at the corner of Ulao Road and Highway 32,  and properties along Highway C.

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

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

During the 2020 budget hearing last fall, electors authorized the Town Board to purchase property or a building for a new hall that should not exceed $1 million.

Town officials are seeking a property that would be large enough to accommodate future growth. Town Chairman Lester Bartel said he also wants the hall to provide additional amenities for residents, such as recycling and yard waste disposal.

Bartel said he is concerned about parking for older adults at the current facility, where meetings and elections take place.

He said he would like to have a property available for the town to purchase by the end of this year.