Town, county search for creative ways to create quarry park

Officials are working on “creative ways” to fund the purchase of 80 acres of former quarry land in the Town of Saukville that includes a man-made lake for use as an Ozaukee County park, Town Chairman Kevin Kimmes said on Tuesday.

However, he said, the town and county remain divided on the valuation of 40-acres of the land that is currently owned by construction company Payne and Dolan but is set for transfer to town ownership.

Kimmes argues the land could be subdivided into four to eight lots and the neighboring 40-acre water-filled quarry could be put into the trust of a homeowners association as a private lake.

“Those lots would be worth a lot of money. I mean a lot of money,” he said, estimating a total sale value of $1.5 million.

County Planning and Parks Director Andrew Struck has expressed skepticism about that valuation in the past, but could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.

Kimmes said the estimates he’s heard from the county are far less than the $1.5 million figure, although he noted a middle ground number could likely be reached.

Last month, the county Natural Resources Committee approved applying for a $112,500 state Department of Natural Resources grant to go toward the purchase of that 40-acre parcel, which could be tied into a larger deal for the entire 80-acre lot.

The county grant request is one example of the “creative ways” officials are finding to facilitate the sale, despite their disagreement, Kimmes said.

For example, town officials are willing to accept road work by the county on town roads in lieu of payment, which the county has expressed a willingness to do, Kimmes said.

Having the county complete road projects would not only save the town the trouble of budgeting, planning and engineering the work but also tap into the county’s expertise, he said.

County and town officials agree that there is support for creating a park. It would be the first county park to have access to an inland lake for boating and fishing.

“There’s a lot of support for this in the town,” Struck has said.

Kimmes agreed, noting Town Hall is inundated with queries about fishing the lake, but said town residents also care about getting a fair deal.

“We know there’s an idea of a bigger use that could have a big benefit past the town’s residents, and we are in support of that — if we are making a good fiscal decision,” he has said.