Village plans to annex parcel ‘slivers’ from town

The Village of Grafton is seeking to annex several small parcels of land in the Town of Grafton to accommodate village residents for tax purposes.

Community Development Director Jessica Wolff said the town approached the village to annex “slivers” of land that extend from Falls Road to Washington Street and Wisconsin Avenue.

Ten of the properties are owned by village residents, range in length from 850 to 3,000 square feet and total .28 acres. There are also eight village-owned properties that total 3.24 acres.

Wolf said village and town staff were not familiar with the history of the parcels, but believe the slivers were used to prevent town islands within village limits. The annexation was reviewed by the Wisconsin Department of Administration, which said annexation of the parcels would be in the public interest.

Wolff said annexing the properties would eliminate the need for residents to pay a nominal tax bill to the town.

During the Village Board meeting April 5, Wolff sought direction from the board on choosing the best option for annexation.

The board unanimously agreed to seek unanimous approval from property owners to ensure all are onboard with the annexation.