2018 Verona Progress by Woodward Community Media

Verona Progress 2018

Inside County M nears completion A message from the mayor Page 2 New high school plans continue Page 3 Matts House gets a renovation, plans for The Purple Goose Page 5 Epic construction stalls after years of growth Page 7 Town comprehensive plan update Page 8 Plans form for new public works building Page 10 New business questionnaires Page 13

A supplement to the Verona Press

September 27, 2018

Verona Progress

www.connectverona.com

County M project enters final year JIM FEROLIE Verona Press editor

Photo by Jim Ferolie

A view of the County Hwy. M project in early September 2018 looking east from the County Hwy. PD intersection shows a tunnel being built for east-to-west traffic. outside of the existing lanes – excavating, grading, laying base material and utility lines, pouring asphalt in some areas and starting work on the tunnel that will go under the road at PD. For the remaining couple of months in this year’s construction season, crews will continue that work moving further south

toward and past PD, with the expectation of having drivers switch to the newly built lanes before the snow flies. Next spring begins Stage 3, tearing out the existing road where traffic has been routed for the past several months and laying new infrastructure there, as well as building the bridges that

will go over the tunnel at PD. A year ago, the project was just beginning (and was estimated at $46 million). The Five Points intersection turned into four with the closure of the Raymond Road connection, utilities were still being relocated and filler material was being piled up for the bridge over PD.

Turn to Road/Page 15

Message from the mayor

City aiming to grow in a sustainable way

hank you to Verona for electing me to serve as mayor of Verona. As your new mayor, my goal is for Verona to keep its hometown feel even as we grow. I want our city Diaz to grow in a way that is both fiscally and environmentally sustainable. I also want the city to continue to improve our communication with Verona residents. Below is a summary of everything that has been happening in Verona over the last year.

Council changes

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The final piece of the decadelong County Hwy. M upgrade is entering its final year. Over the past year, contractors began working along the sides of M and tearing up part of the intersection at County Hwy. PD to prepare for the last stage of expansion of the 150-yearold country road to a four-lane, divided urban road with a sidewalk, terrace and curbs. The 14-month, $55 million project started in September 2017 and has a contracted end date of November 2019. Previous stages started construction in 2010 (Pleasant View roundabouts) and 2015 (County Hwys. M and S, aka Mineral Point and Junction roads). The fix seemed urgent enough i n 2 0 0 7 , w h e n D a n e C o u nty raised its priority level, and traffic has gotten steadily worse with the addition of thousands more Epic employees at its massive west Verona campus, and it continues to compete with the much larger Verona Road project in terms of rerouting traffic. “The road is a parking lot every day,” Theran Jacobson observed while discussing the project with the Press this week. “This is going to be a significant improvement at the end. It is going to be great for traffic flow, traffic safety, pedestrian mobility, operational efficiencies (and) emergency response times.” So far, most of the work on the third leg of M – called Prairie Hill to Cross Country – has been

Now, with the new lanes being finished, the experience will be similar over the next year for drivers, though the path will be “kind of like a snake,” Jacobson said, moving from east to west and back east and then back west. It will continue to be one lane in each direction with occasional weekend closures, but other than one “blitz closure” of about two weeks for traffic driving east on PD, there should be no other reductions in lanes during the week, he said. With 10,000 people driving to Epic every day, that’s a necessity. After that closure, drivers will still be on only part of the new intersection. The full intersection will have double left-turn and right-turn lanes in addition to the east-to-west tunnel that will provide nonstop traffic flow. Message boards will continue to keep people updated, Jacobson said. The city’s share of the project, when all is said and done, will be about $8.5 million, including about $1.3 million in land acquisition that was completed in June 2017. It’s part of an overall project of M that, including federal funds, will end up costing close to $100 million. This year’s persistent rains and flooding have slowed the project, Jacobson said, but that is not expected to affect its end date and hasn’t “modified their critical path severely.” Should next year be like this year, the contractor could need to bring in more resources, which could

This past year, we have seen change in the Common Council, with five new Alders: Chad Kemp – elected for District 1; Kate Cronin – elected for District 3; Katie Kohl – elected for District 2; Charlotte Jerney – appointed to the vacant seat in District 3; and Christine Posey – appointed to the vacant seat in District 1.

low vacancy rates in the Madison area and proximity to Epic. In 2017, Low interest rates, strong 35-multi-family units started construction, and in 2018, schools, a safe community the Legacy at Noel Manor and amenities for families started construction on a continue to drive housing 32-unit memory care facilgrowth in the city. In 2017, the city issued 63 ity. The city anticipates addipermits for new single-family homes. Through August tional multi-family and of 2018, 35 new single-fam- senior developments to be proposed and built in the ily home permits were coming years. issued and the city is on pace to issue approximately Downtown 50 to 60 permits in 2018. Existing new single-fami- improvements ly home opportunities in the New businesses have city include the Kettle Creek located within the downNorth, Cathedral Point and town, taking advantage of the Hometown Grove subthe great location, visibilidivisions. The next large ty, and increased pedestriresidential growth area for an traffic. the city is the North NeighNew businesses include borhood in the area west of Dorn True Value HardCounty Hwy. M and south ware and the Purple Goose of County Hwy. PD known relocating to the Matts as Whispering Coves. The house. Interest in businesscity anticipates development es locating in Downtown potentially starting in the remains strong and will North Neighborhood in continue into the future. 2019 and will include resThe downtown continues idential, multi-family, and to remain a priority for the commercial land uses, pend- city, and the development ing approvals. of the downtown has been Demand for multi-family, included as a priority for including senior housing, the new economic developremains strong throughout ment manager position. the city due to changes Turn to Mayor/page 11 in housing preferences,

Residential development

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September 27, 2018

Verona Progress

Building continues, questions remain for new VAHS Road deal with city still being worked on SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group

The Verona Area School District has kept the southwest side of the city a place to visit for construction enthusiasts, even as nearby Epic has slowed down. The past year has been a busy one for VASD, most notably and visibly as the new high school site begins to take shape. Crews broke ground this spring after lots of planning during the fall and winter, and pieces of the building are beginning to fall into place. But it’s also been a year of frustration behind closed doors – and sometimes in open comments – as the school district and City of Verona officials have been unable to come to a final agreement on a second access point to the site off of West Verona Avenue near the U.S. Hwy. 18/151 interchange. In the spring, it seemed as though an agreement had been reached to have that road connect with South Nine Mound, albeit with reservations from district officials and school board members. But negotiations with private developers involved in making that agreement work have been unsuccessful. As a result, board representatives went back to the city in July asking for help and new options. Amidst those conversations, the district has had to reconsider some of the amenities it added last August – a second pool and

Photo by Jim Ferolie

A view of the new Verona Area High School being constructed in September 2018 clearly shows the location of athletic fields, as well as where a road could link to South Nine Mound Road. turf on the football and soccer fields. It also changed its initial classroom design in response to security concerns from some parents and staff. Despite all of those complications, some of which remain to be decided, the past year is one

that will be remembered by the district leaders who pushed for the referendum as a long-term solution to the district’s space needs. They got to see the plan that started with a 2015 land purchase come closer to completion.

Message from the superintendent

Construction, planning both aligned toward district’s mission

he Verona Area School District’s mission is “Every Student Must Be Successful.” Our efforts and resources are aligned to our mission, and we are excited every day to be impactful in the lives of the chilGorrell dren in our schools. Each year, the district has exciting items to spotlight, and in the last few years, a couple of these items remain as a priority. They revolve around the remarkable growth of our communities and our staff’s focus to ensure we meet our mission. This year, we are spotlighting these areas of focus: • Our “Building for 2020” campaign • Establishing personalized learning plans for every student this school year • Our new five-year strategic plan

Building for 2020 If you have been out near the corner of West Verona Avenue and Epic Lane lately, you have seen a lot of activity on our building site. As the building rises vertically, so does

the anticipation of taking occupancy in 2020. I encourage you to visit our webpage, verona.k12. wi.us/Buildingfor2020, and follow us on Facebook and/or Twitter as we post regular updates and our biweekly executive summaries on the excitement leading up to the opening of the new high school in the Fall of 2020. You’ll see pictures, drone video and updates on the building progress. It is the largest single school construction project to date in the state of Wisconsin and will be a school we can all be proud of. My thanks to all of you for making this possible through your support.

Personalized learning Way back in April of 2013, the Board of Education approved the goal that every student would have a personalized learning plan. A great deal of work on building necessary technology infrastructure and staff training has occurred from the adoption of that goal to present. Finally, after laying much groundwork, we are beginning the implementation in every classroom – every school with the components focusing on: • Academic goal setting

for students • Building learner profiles • Epiphany Learning access for parents (our software platform for learner profiles) • Continued teacher professional development You can find the most up-to-date information on our website at verona.k12. wi.us/PersonalizedLearning.

Strategic plan The district is engaged in the process of developing a five-year strategic plan. The planning committee, comprising 30 people including students, parents, staff, board members and community members, met monthly over the spring semester into summer months to formulate a draft of our strategic pillars. In July, the Board approved those pillars, which are: • Authentic relationships • Safe, inclusive learning environments • High expectations for every student • Supporting and empowering staff • Equitable allocation of resources Next steps are to establish strategic objectives for each of these pillars, then strategies, timelines and measures related to each

Turn to Gorrell/Page 15

Planning, outreach A year ago, the road conversations were mostly behind-thescenes, as officials focused on finalizing the plans and layout of the new high school and playing fields.

That included community outreach and a pair of public meetings to get feedback on the proposed designs. The first of those meetings, in December, allowed residents to get a look at the

Turn to VAHS/Page 14

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September 27, 2018

Verona Progress

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Supply, costs keeping a lid on housing growth JIM FEROLIE AND SCOTT GIRARD

Singlefamily home permits

Verona Press

The pace of homebuilding in Verona has cooled somewhat over the past four years after a post-recession correction, but it’s apparently not for lack of interest. Developers have continued to look for opportunities to increase the supply of what appears to be continually more expensive housing. City planning director Adam Sayre told the Press in an email he anticipated the year ending with 50 to 60 single-family home permits issued in the city, slightly below the 63 in 2017 and 64 in 2016. “I think the dip can be attributed to supply or limited options, a slight increase in interest rates and construction costs increasing,” Sayre wrote. The three subdivisions that dominated the market this year continue to be the only places in the city with a significant supply of new home lots – Cathedral Point south of the bypass, Hometown Grove on the southeast and Kettle Creek North on the northern edge. The Town of Verona, however, has two new subdivisions opening on its north side. Plans are in the works to open up hundreds of units even further north, but that

2018: 50-60 2017: 63 2016: 64 2015: 75 2014: 84 2013: 76 2012: 64

anticipated

Photo by Scott Girard

Kettle Creek North is one of the city’s active subdivisions. The north side of the city is the next big growth area. will mostly wait for the completion of the County Hwy. M project, which is bringing new infrastructure to the area. That includes plans for m a ny n ew a p a r t m e n t s , and several other apartment developers continue to bring plans, but for the most part, construction of those units has slowed, as well. A year after it broke ground, Kettle Creek North is just beginning to build homes, taking out its first permit in April and another in August, with its website

showing nine sold. Cathedral Point, meanwhile, is on its final phase. H o m e t ow n G r o v e , a smaller subdivision filling in a gap near Glacier Edge Elementary School, is nearing a “tipping point” toward a “rapid build-out” of its 32 lots, said Northpointe Construction new home consultant Mitchell Fiene. Fiene said four homeowners are already living in the neighborhood and two other “spec homes” are near completion. With only those active developments here, Fiene

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experiencing. There is a demand there.” Fiene complimented the city on its infrastructure and amenities that have come along with the fastpaced growth here. “Verona has been one of the fastest-growing communities that I have ever seen,” Fiene said. “Between them and Sun Prairie, it’s been incredible.” The key to that growth continuing, he said, has been its strong planning. “The city has done an incredible job of keeping up with that growth,” he said. “There’s no shortage of parks and bike paths and activities for people to actually go to.” He expects new construction to become a growing part of the market, as prices between existing homes and newly built ones become

2018: 32 2017: 45 2016: 51 2015: 117 2014: 140 2013: 0 2012: 157

closer. “The housing market right now is really difficult for people to find existing homes at their budget,” Fiene said. “You have 100-year-old houses that are selling for $300,000 and $400,000 when you could have a brand-new home for $300,000 and $400,000.” Email Verona Press editor Jim Ferolie at veronapress@wcinet.com.

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said the market hasn’t been able to keep up with demand. “I still think we’re way behind on new construction,” he said. “We need a ton more houses.” The Town of Verona is seeing an influx of housing development, with Driftless Ridge beginning building and Deer Haven Estates and Fox Hill beginning soon. Randy Christianson of Heinrichs Development, which is developing Deer Haven in the town and the Kettle Creek North project in the city, said Deer Haven Estates already has a pair of buyers even though they haven’t done marketing for it yet. “There’s still somewhat of a shortage of lots available in the Verona market,” Christianson said. “That’s s o m e t h i n g t h a t w e ’r e

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The North Neighborhood got its first full-fledged proposal this year, a concept with winding roads known as Whispering Coves.

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The first house is being constructed in the Driftless Ridge subdivision in the Town of Verona, one of three already under construction or expected to begin soon.

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September 27, 2018

Verona Progress

Matts house almost ready for business Yearlong renovation of historic downtown building nearly complete

Purple Goose opens next month

SCOTT DE LARUELLE Unified Newspaper Group

More than three years after historic preservationists and city leaders helped save it from the wrecking ball, a longtime fixture on the corner of Verona Avenue and Main Street is about ready for its closeup. After nearly a year of p a i n s t a k i n g r e n ova t i o n wo r k b y l o c a l h i s t o r i c rebuilding specialist Troy Rost and his team, the newlook/old-look Matts House is set to open for business next month. The first floor of the building will be dedicated to retail space, with The Purple Goose clothing, accessory and gift shop set to open Oct. 13, while the second floor will feature a studio for classes and events. The building, believed to be the oldest still standing in Verona, was erected by city pioneer Josiah H.B. Matts around 1848 and has been home to various businesses and private owners over the years. But it took a determined citizen effort to get it restored. When the city bought it in 2015, it almost voted to destroy it, as the cost estimate to make it usable for

Photo by Kimberly Wethal

The Matts house on the corner of Main Street and East Verona Avenue is set to house the The Purple Goose later this year. commercial or retail purposes was as much as $1 million. A group of local residents persuaded city leaders to instead stabilize the building and wait a few months before making any major decisions, and the following spring, Rost stepped in to what became a massive project. He told the Press this month the restoration on the 160-year-old-plus building has taken a bit longer than he would have hoped as a result of extensive deterioration – but he’s happy with the result. “I would (have liked) it to have gone faster, but I

do think we’re building a better building for the long run; it’s stable for the long term,” he said. “It’ll be fun for people to see the structure. I think it’s going to be a really pretty addition to that corner.” Rost and his crew have been working since last September on the insides of the building, removing old plaster and rotten flooring as they discovered it, going through layers of restorations or additions through the years. He said that was an interesting process, going back in time, so to speak. “You could see where the floors had been painted,

Message from the chamber

probably went back to very early in the building,” he said. “If it’s not original, certainly pretty old, but there have been so many holes cut, so much rot, that we couldn’t use that. I was able to reuse the steps, which is great – if they’re not original, they’re pretty old.” Verona Area Historical Society president Jesse Charles, who had spearheaded efforts to save the building before joining the organization, said the society and Matts family descendants are “thrilled

More than two years ago, when Halley Jones read in the Press the city was selling the building for $1, she handed Troy Rost a copy of the newspaper and told him he should put in a bid to restore the building “not ever thinking that I would move into it.” But when Jones went upstairs to see the work going on, she quickly changed her mind, deciding she “needed to be in that building.” “It has all the character that my old building had and so much more,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to be in the downtown area, but there never were any cool spaces.” Halley Jones is moving her Purple Goose boutique clothing, accessories and gift shop from its long-time location on 400 W. Verona Avenue to the Matts House, where it will occupy the first floor. On the second floor, Jones is creating a space for Brick House Studio, which will eventually feature classes and events. The building will host a grand opening Wednesday, Oct. 13. “We are hoping to really bring a lot of bustle to that downtown corner,” Jones told the Press in an email. “I know the community is eager to see it come to life.” with this latest chapter” in the house’s story – and with all the work Rost has put in. “ We ’r e t h a n k f u l t h a t Troy came into the story when he did – the right person at the right time and place,” he told the Press in an email. “He and his team have put in an immense amount of work stabilizing

the building and have balanced making it a modern showplace while being respectful of its significance to so many of us.” Email Unified Newspaper Group reporter Scott De Laruelle at scott.delaruelle@ wcinet.com.

Proud to be Part of Verona’s Progress for 35 years!

Supporting a community that’s becoming more vibrant prepared by our Verona Fire Department. Recreation is big and getting bigger here, as Verona continues to be a sports hub. We are an important loop in the Ironman competition, and we host the National Short Track Speed Skating Championships and the AmFam Senior PGA Champions Tournament. Numerous baseball, softball, soccer, lacrosse, hockey and bow hunting tournaments and games keep us active throughout the year. And of course, we can take great pride in the fact that we are an Ice Age Trail Community. Entertainment abounds in Verona. You can catch great local and regional talent at places like Wisconsin Brewing Company, Fisher King Winery, Hop Haus, Tuvalu Coffeehouse and Gallery and Concerts in the Park at Harriet Park. Local talent is on display at Verona Area Community Theater, and you can catch big name acts presented by the Verona Area Performing Arts Series (if you get our tickets early enough). Our library programs are outstanding, as well. They feature a wide range of

subjects, both interesting and informative. And it’s in just the perfect peaceful and Wright setting. O v e r t h e p a s t y e a r, H o m e t ow n U S A g o t a Main Street renovation to match and enhance that slogan. And despite the several weeks of inconvenience caused by construction last summer, we can agree the impact will be worth it. The crowning touch may well be the beautiful renovation of the historic Matts House, which will now house The Purple Goose. Looking ahead, expect great changes as Fireman’s Park gets a complete overhaul. At the chamber, we are pleased to have added a tourism coordinator to the staff. Her role will be to bring additional travelers and events to our community. She and I will work with our media consultants to continue to promote Verona though various media. Shopping in our community continues to grow, and we are pleased to look out our front window and see

Turn to Chamber/ Page 12

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The Verona Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to play an active and significant role in the support and promotion of o u r a r e a ’s commercial, recreational, cultural and community endeavors. We v i e w these things a s i n t e r - Jordan twined and consider the success of one as beneficial to all. We attempted proactively to focus on that as we planned our calendar. With that in mind, this past year we added a hugely successful Fall Fest and a Halloween trick or treat night that Main Street merchants and area families raved about. Both will be back in 2018, bigger and better than ever. A themed Spring Event is also being planned for 2019. Popular returning events include Music on Main, an ice sculpting demonstration, Hometown Days and Hometown Holidays, featuring Santa Claus and the five-alarm chili supper

What you don’t see makes all the difference.

Verona Progress

September 27, 2018

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Three Bike and Ped projects near completion KIMBERLY WETHAL Unified Newspaper Group

A project meant to connect Veronans started earlier this summer is almost complete. A combination of projects 3, 8 and 10 listed in the city’s July 2016 Verona Bike and Pedestrian study has had County Hwy. M – also known as South Main Street – under construction since the beginning of June. Two of those projects prompted it to close on Sept. 17. The work includes construction of sidewalks, bike lanes and pedestrian- and bike-friendly intersections along County Hwy. M and Locust Drive to provide safer infrastructure for people who wish to walk or bike from the southern areas of Verona downtown. The three projects done this year were anticipated to be the most difficult to complete, public works director Theran Jacobson told the Press in early June. Project No. 3 involved placing a median in the middle of the intersection of Locust Drive and County Hwy. M that would divide traffic turning right off of Locust Drive into a separate lane. The median would prevent pedestrians and bikers from having to cross all 100 feet of Locust Drive without having a place to stop if

Photo by Kimberly Wethal

AECOM employees Rod Steege, right, and Ben Giese, survey the land alongside County Hwy. M as the bike and ped project construction begins. necessary, Jacobson said. Project No. 8 placed a sidewalk along the western side of Locust Drive. Project No. 10 involved placing a 10-foot walking path along the northern side of County Hwy. M from

Whalen Road, crossing over two-thirds of the way to Locust Drive into a sidewalk on the southern side of the road. A median will be placed in the road to assist pedestrians with crossing. T h e s i d ewa l k o n t h e

southern side of County Hwy. M extends up to the Carnes Company building. All three projects are expected to be completed by the end of October. Other projects in the bike and ped study include

Photo by Kimberly Wethal

A section of South Main Street and the northern section of Locust Drive have been ripped up to complete three Bike and Pedestrian projects. d ow n t ow n i n t e r s e c t i o n improvements, additional bike lanes, creating marked bike loops throughout the city and work on bike trails to either extend or pave them.

Email reporter Kimberly Wethal at kimberly. wethal@wcinet.com and follow her on Twitter @ kimberly_wethal.

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September 27, 2018

Verona Progress

Epic catches up on construction Preserving history

Epic brought a little bit of Madison history to Verona this summer. In June, the company purchased relics from the former Ella’s Deli restaurant, including the carousel that sat alongside East Washington Avenue in front of the business for four decades. The company also purchased other pieces of art from the interior of Ella’s Deli, which closed in January.

Healthcare company not building for first time in 15 years KIMBERLY WETHAL Unified Newspaper Group

Expanding records access In the coming months, patients whose healthcare providers use Epic’s software for their electronic health record information may notice some changes. One might be including building a more comprehensive health record that includes information about a patient’s living environments, like housing and accessibility to food and social care services. Epic CEO Judy Faulkner said during her yearly executive address on Tuesday, Aug. 28, during the company’s annual User Group Meeting that adding social situations to a patient’s electronic health records will help connect them to services to improve their lives. The company is also striving to eliminate “silos” within their users with a new program called “Cosmos,” in which healthcare providers can share data with other Epic customers and use artificial intelligence to pick up on health patterns within populations. – Kimberly Wethal

– Kimberly Wethal

Photo by Kimberly Wethal

A metal wizard stands in the center of the King’s Cross campus courtyard.

Photo by Kimberly Wethal

The hallway between a King’s Cross campus building and another Epic Systems building features the design of the London’s underground subway system “The Tube.” Storybook, presents a theme of famed authors and the mythical worlds they created. Those include The Brothers Grimm, in which the “theme stairwell” features Rapunzel’s tower and her three-story long braid; Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, Willy Wonka’s Chocolate

Factory, complete with a faux chocolate waterfall, and a Jules Verne-themed building. The company is still planning for future expansion, Dickmann said, but he said noted that instead of growing their building infrastructure to match their existing space needs,

they’ll instead be able to construct new campuses to have ready for new employees. Email reporter Kimberly Wethal at kimberly. wethal@wcinet.com and follow her on Twitter @ kimberly_wethal.

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There are still cranes reaching several stories high into the sky on Verona’s western side, but for the first time in 15 years, they’re not building anything new at Epic Systems. Epic is putting the finishing touches on its fifth campus, “Storybook,” the healthcare software company has no active plans to build for the first time since 2003. “We’ve finally caught up,” Steve Dickmann, chief administrative officer, told the Press in July. “In the ideal world, if we would build one building a year, or one building every other year, that’s more sane. When you’re trying to build two campuses simultaneously, it taxes everybody’s resources.” The company has always been playing catch-up since moving to Verona in 2005, but it got even further behind with its space needs in 2012, when a stimulus package from the federal government helped the company expand its workforce. At that point, it had to construct areas to house their employees after they had been hired. Ideally, Dickmann told t h e P r e s s , t h e c o m p any has always aimed for each employee to have an enclosed office as a method of stimulating both creativity and productivity. The addition of the company’s fifth multi-building campus has brought Epic closer to that goal. That group of seven 300-office buildings,

September 27, 2018

Verona Progress

www.connectverona.com

Land use plan focuses on preservation, growth KIMBERLY WETHAL Unified Newspaper Group

For more information about the Town of Verona comprehensive plan, visit:

town.verona.wi.us

regions and holding public input sessions for each region, allowing residents of those areas to talk about what they want in their neighborhood. Many residents especially want to keep the rural nature of the town, plan commission chair Doug Maxwell said. “They want to preserve the vistas that we have,” Maxwell told the Press in August. “In some ways, they’d like to preserve farms, because farms add to the rural character, but that’s something that we can’t control.” Preserving farmland is no guarantee, Town Chair Mark Geller said, because farmers who live in the town are getting older with no one to take over for them. One way the town plans on preserving the rural look of the town is planning for housing developments that will have the least amount of impact on the town’s aesthetic as possible.

Maxwell said in August the town can expect between 15 and 20 homes built each year, totaling 300 over the 20-year span. To prepare for that, the comp plan has identified 600 plots in four different areas that have the potential to be developed in what he called “conservation subdivisions.” “We’ll keep the rural atmosphere, which is mainly vistas,” Maxwell said. “The others will be situated back from the road, and it will be very difficult to see what’s taking place back there.” T h e r e ’s a n a d d i t i o n al area near the Hwys.. 18-151 bypass that has been marked in the plan for a potential commercial development. Should the plan be adopted by the town board, it then goes to the county for approval and adoption into its own comprehensive plan. Email reporter Kimberly Wethal at kimberly. wethal@wcinet.com and follow her on Twitter @ kimberly_wethal. Map courtesy Town of Verona

Right: The future land use map details what parcels will be used for in the next 20 years.

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T h e Tow n o f Ve r o n a knows it needs to grow in the next 20 years, and based on the projected growth of Dane County, its leaders know it will. The challenge is where the town should plan for that growth. That’s the goal of the town’s 20-year comprehensive land use plan, which was adopted by the Plan Commission at its Aug. 23 meeting. The plan is still in a 3 0 - d a y r ev i ew p e r i o d , where residents can offer comments on the plan, and it’ll go to a public hearing at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 2, at the Town Board meeting. The plan addresses trends in land use that are predicted to impact the town in the coming years, including a decline in family farms, an increase in Dane County’s population, the need to maintain town roads used mainly by nonresidents, ensuring quality fire and EMS services and preserving the rural nature of the town. Towns are required to redo their plans every 10 years, and the Town of Verona had most recently updated its plan in 2006. The town began work on the plan back in 2016, splitting up land into eight

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September 27, 2018

Verona Progress

Message from the town chair

Town adopts vision and evolves neighborhoods, Woods at Watch Hill and Driftless Ridge, are under construction, and there will be groundbreakings for two more developments, Deer Haven Estates and Fox Hill, soon. This is more development than the town has had in many years. We believe quality neighborhoods are being created that provide needed tax base. We are also always trying to preserve rural character and this year the town helped facilitate two new segments of the Ice Age Trail. With a vision established and development underway, the town is now shifting its attention to increasing public works funding and improving more roads. The town is excited to welcome the new people who are moving into our new developments, and as always, we value our long-time residents. We also continue to work with our neighboring jurisdictions as we work to fulfill our vision. Mark Geller is the Verona town chair.

Photo by Scott Girard

The former southbound lanes of Verona Road have been closed between Raymond Road and south of McKee Road since earlier this year as crews work on ramps and widening the roads.

Verona Road work continues SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group

The path from Verona to Fitchburg changed slightly earlier this year with a traffic shift as part of the Verona Road reconstruction project. Beyond that May change, which moved northbound traffic to the newly

completed interchange ramps and southbound traffic to the previously northbound traffic lanes, the year was much of the same for commuters as the previous few have been in the corridor. The orange cones, nightly single lane closures and construction crews all around remained throughout much of the past year.

Work focused on the southbound lanes in that time, and the ramps both north and south of McKee Road can be seen taking shape. Crews are also continuing to work on retaining walls north of McKee. Stage 2 of the project, which is scheduled to continue through fall 2020, includes construction a Williamsburg Way bridge over

Verona Road, bridges over Hwy. PD and an expansion of Hwy. PD to three lanes. For information and updates on the project, visit projects.511wi.gov/veronard. Contact Scott Girard at ungreporter@wcinet.com and follow him on Twitter @sgirard9.

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n early 2018, the Town of Verona Board of Supervisors, with the assistance of several committee members and staff, developed Geller a formal vision to â&#x20AC;&#x153;maintain the Town as an independent, financially sustainable, safe, and healthy rural community.â&#x20AC;? They also outlined seven guiding principles to guide the work of the Town. Since that time, the board and staff have been working hard to evolve and become more proactive. The town has hosted educational events and parties at the new town hall to create a sense of community. Outreach efforts have improved, and as always, people are welcomed and encouraged to participate in town government. The draft comprehensive plan is complete, and a new five-year financial plan is in the works. Two new

September 27, 2018

Verona Progress

www.connectverona.com

City begins planning for new public works building JIM FEROLIE Verona Press editor

It’s still a long way off, but the city has begun planning for a new public works facility that could enable 24/7 drop-off of recyclable waste, reduce internal traffic backups and ensure expansion is available on the same site decades into the future. Earlier this year, the city worked out a deal with Purple Cow Organics to buy 20 acres of its former recycling site on Range Trail for $2.7 million, and it has spent the past few months working on that transition, which also involves a separate deal for the rest of the site with Veridian Homes and is expected to be complete in November. After declaring the need for expansion with a space needs study in June 2017, city staff and officials originally aimed for a 2021 opening and evaluated several potential sites for what now looks to be a $15 million, 80,000-square-foot main building, cold-storage facility and recycling area. While the move-in date has been pushed back to 2023 and the debt load is likely to be spread out over two or three years, work continues steadily on the planning. “I want to do this right, I want to do this accurately and I don’t want to rush it,”

Photo by Kimberly Wethal

The site on the corner of County Hwy. M and Range Trail where a new public works facility is being planned. city public works director Theran Jacobson told the Press. Jacobson said ultimately, the size, location and availability of the city’s original first choice, the Purple Cow site, was unmatched. With

easy access to County Hwy. M and the bypass and utility lines already connected – and Purple Cow having relocated near its Bruce Company roots in Middleton – the site is ready-made for the project.

Next month, the city plans to make the land split official, allowing Veridian to develop 21 more home sites in its rapidly filling Cathedral Point subdivision and clearing the way for closing.

In 2019, the city will work on designing and permitting the building, and engineering would follow, Jacobson said, assuming funds are provided in next year’s budget as expected. Jacobson noted the

building would have nearly limitless expansion potential on the site, meaning it should last far longer than the 17 years the current facility has been used, even if upgrades are necessary down the road. The building will be designed for more than the 23 full-time and assorted part-time and contract positions using it now, he said. “As the city grows, our (maintenance) route grows, our infrastructure demands increase,” he said. “It’s not just a public works facility, its public works, parks, water, sewer, stormwater, recreation and a recycling center, too.” That last point is one of the features of the site the typical Veronan will notice immediately. In addition to constraints on the current 7-acre site for getting vehicles in and out of spots where they’re sometimes parked two deep, yard waste and other recycling is limited to hours when it can be staffed. He’s planning for the new facility to have a drivethrough yard waste and construction waste dropoff area that will be available around the clock without the need for staffing. “It will be policed with video surveillance,” he said. Email Verona Press editor Jim Ferolie at veronapress@wcinet.com.

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September 27, 2018

Verona Progress

Mayor: Investment in infrastructure Continued from page 2

Non-residential development Commercial interest in the city remains strong. For 2019, new commercial buildings will be constructed in the West End along Verona Avenue in close proximity to the new high school. The redevelopment along West Verona Avenue for Sugar Creek Commons is expected to start in 2019 and will include commercial space and a hotel. Currently under construction, the Big Apple Daycare and other approved projects expected to start construction in 2019 will add to the commercial businesses along East Verona Avenue. Additional commercial development has also been proposed in the Whispering Coves development along County Hwy. M, pending Plan Commission and Council approval, could occur in the near future. Verona continues to garner significant interest in companies looking to expand and relocate due to our close proximity a diverse talent pool, transportation network and streamlined development process. In a tight labor market, a consistent challenge for most existing businesses throughout the entire region continues to be finding employees to fill

vacant positions. The city remains committed to attracting and retaining commercial, industrial, and office users, while continuing to draw people to this wonderful community.

Other city projects Verona continues to invest in its streets and other infrastructure. The replacement of bridges below Old County PB and replacement of concrete on East Verona Avenue provided improved roads along leading into the east side of the City. As a continuation of the bike and pedestrian study, multi-use paths along County M (South Main Street) from Whalen Road to Factory Street and a sidewalk along Locust Street will improve pedestrian and bicycle transportation on these busy roads connecting to downtown Verona. Several streets were reconstructed this year, including South Shuman Street and West Park Lane. Old County PB, Gilman Street, and East Harriet Street were resurfaced to extend their life and reduce the overall maintenance costs. In addition to street infrastructure, a new park shelter was constructed at the Cathedral Point Park that can be rented for events and gatherings through the parks department.

Financial condition The City of Verona is committed to sound financial management balancing operational growth and planned capital projects with a practical borrowing strategy. Using tools such as tax-increment districts and the city’s revolving loan fund can encourage growth and development in Verona.

Staff summary All of these accomplishments would not be possible without the dedicated work of excellent city staff. Personnel changes include Greg Denner, streets superintendent, who retired from the public works department after 32 years of service, and Mary Pagliaro, police records clerk, who retired after working 12 years with the city. I know that new city staff will have the same drive, ethic, leadership, and dedication to serving our residents as current and past Verona employees. I truly appreciate the opportunity to serve as your mayor, and I encourage anyone with questions, comments or suggestions about Verona to contact me at Luke.Diaz@ci.verona. wi.us or contact relevant city staff members.

Photo by Kimberly Wethal

The bridge on County Hwy. PB has been reconstructed, and only requires safety measures to be installed before it’s scheduled to reopen on Friday, Aug. 17.

Old PB Construction on the bridges on Old PB was completed over a three-month span earlier this summer. The road closed on May 7, and reopened in mid-August. It was contractually obligated to reopen prior to the Sept. 9 Ironman event, which had cyclists doing two laps on the road during their 112-mile ride.

Luke Diaz is the mayor of the City of Verona.

Photo by Kimberly Wethal

Fireman’s Park Demolition work at Fireman’s Park began Sept. 17. The project is set to be completed by June 2019, when the beach and pool at the park would open for the season.

City hires economic development manager JIM FEROLIE Verona Press editor

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After several years of discussing the possibility, Verona hired its first dedicated economic development employee over the summer. Dayna Sarver came t o Ve r o n a Sarver with three years of experience focusing on the downtown development district as part of Janesville’s economic development department and 15 years’ experience living in Verona. The 38-year-old mother of four told the Press her main focus for now is getting to know existing businesses, explaining that retention is one of the most important parts of good economic development. She’s working as part of a four-person team, with

the city administrator and planning department, to ensure existing businesses get good support from the city and to show prospective businesses they would, as well. “Community economic development, in its simplest way, is about developing relationships,” she told the Press in August. “Your state (agencies), the chamber, the local school district, the library, the senior center, the food pantry all kind of come together.” Sarver’s role is also marketing city services such as revolving loan funds and facade-improvement grants and informing businesses and community lenders about state and county programs that might available. In addition to meeting with businesses over the past three months, she has been working on creating marketing materials and building the city’s new economic development web page, which now features

information on services available for businesses, a community profile, a map of available properties and the most recent marketing survey, done in 2015. An economic development position was discussed for the 2014 budget, then it was put in an early version of the 2015 budget but removed in favor of bringing in a consultant. That consultant was used sparingly after some initial research and a few meetings with the Community Development Authority despite getting $25,000 allocated for it in 2016. A full-time position was put into the 2017 budget, but the city waited until the June 2018 to fill it. Prior to Janesville, Sarver worked at UW-Extension while earning her master’s degree in urban, community and rural planning. Email Verona Press editor Jim Ferolie at veronapress@wcinet.com.

September 27, 2018

Verona Progress

www.connectverona.com

West Verona redevelopment, northside subdivision advance JIM FEROLIE Verona Press editor

Two major pieces of the city’s economic development plans took steps over the past year, but both still have hurdles to clear. A multimillion-dollar redevelopment of the 500 block of West Verona Avenue – now known as Sugar Creek Commons – earned a key approval this year while its developer continued to negotiate for taxpayer assistance in cleaning up polluted soil under the former truckstop. The same company, Verona-based Forward Development Group, brought a succession of related proposals for a subdivision on the north side of the city that officials have been eyeing for more than a decade. The Sugar Creek Commons plan has been circulating for about two years, with a variety of configurations, all including more than 250 apartments, some retail and a hotel. Many city leaders have expressed their enthusiasm for the plan to tear down the truckstop formerly known as Chinmi and several other properties, including Avenue Auto, Badger Wash and five decades-old apartment buildings. To make the plan work, FDG had to assemble 10 properties on a nine-acre

Photo by Jim Ferolie

The Sugar Creek Commons project would combine 10 parcels that currently house an abandoned truck stop, a car repair shop, a car wash and apartments. area west of Legion Street and evaluate various plans for soil remediation, which is required for any redevelopment that disturbs the ground. The plan has been the subject of several closed

discussions at Common Council about how much tax-increment financing to provide. Late last year, it created a tax-increment financing district to facilitate the plan. The northside

subdivision, now called Whispering Coves, has been waiting for the upgrade of the County Hwys. M and PD corridor, which is on track to be finished next fall. Its unusual style – winding roads, trails and

close-packed “villas” sharing common yards earned some favorable marks from alders despite getting some skepticism, as well. Either or both developments could be back for the final stage of approvals

a s e a r l y a s N ove m b e r, and each will need signed developer agreements with the city. Email Verona Press editor Jim Ferolie at veronapress@wcinet.com.

Chamber: Aura of progress adds to our quality of life Continued from page 5

Photo by Kimberly Wethal

VeloCity nears completion Five years after first being proposed, the VeloCity development at Nine Mound Road and Paoli Street is nearing completion. The city approved the bicycle-centric, mixed-use building with apartments and commercial space abutting the Military Ridge State Trail in September 2016, but the main construction didn’t start until this past spring.

that we again have a local hardware store: Dorn True Value. Verona is now home to an ever-increasing group of new businesses. And we don’t see that trend ending anytime soon. As we have said before, in the midst of this, and all around us in Verona, there is an unmistakable aura of progress with the addition of many new services, shopping options,

amenities and community activities. These have continued improving the quality of life here. In the end, it is both the health of the business community and the quality of living or visiting here that is the focus of your Verona Area Chamber of Commerce. Le Jordan is the executive director of the Verona Area Chamber of Commerce.

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September 27, 2018

Verona Progress

Hammer Forged CrossFit Address: 606 W Verona Ave Principal owner or leader: Michael Rainiero, Aaron Sisco, Melanie Sisco Opening date: August 13, 2018 Number of employees: 3 Charity connections/plans: Wade’s Army(Nov 10), Flood Relief Fund (Madison). Verona connection: To serve the community of Verona. Business focus: Hammer Forged CrossFit is a world class strength and conditioning facility driven by a positive community of individuals committed to working hard, having fun and attaining desired results. What’s special about your business? HFC combines fundamental barbell movements with high intensity conditioning circuit training. This allows us to capitalize on boosting fat loss, gaining strength and increasing general fitness. In other words, we focus on the improving your way of life through functional movements.

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Darkside Salon Address: 210 E Verona ave suite A Principal owner or leader: Candy Pangan Openingdate: Jan. 9, 2018 Number of employees: 1 Verona connection: I’ve worked all of my career here in Verona mad grew up here. Business focus: Hair salon for the whole family. What’s special about your business? Everyone feels very comfortable and relaxed in my salon.

Address: 119 W. Verona Ave. Principal owner or leader: Store manager: Olga Fish President: Thomas Dorn Opening date: May 1, 2018 Number of employees: 12 Charity connections/plans: Verona Chamber of Commerce Verona connection: Business goal is to serve Dane County communities Business focus: Hardware, paint, lawn and garden, plumbing, tools and rental What’s special about your business? Rentals and tools, wide selection, advice and service

Signs By Caitlin Address: 403 Venture Ct. #7 Principal owner or leader: Caitlin and Matt Esquibel Opening date: March 15, 2018 Number of employees: 6 employees Charity connections/plans: Signs by Caitlin co-sponsors numerous fundraising events through our workshops and in the last year have raised over $10,000 for local organizations. Verona connection: We have fallen in love when the community; the pride Verona takes in its people, school and businesses. Our small business has grown through the support Verona’s community of people and fellow businesses. Business focus: Signs by Caitlin conducts DIY sign painting workshops in Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois. We also produce custom wood signs for home decor as well as commercial use. What’s special about your business? Our small business keeps people at the center of everything we do. We’ve truly care about the story behind each custom piece we design. It’s paramount that each action we take is in the best interest of our customers, our representatives, and our employees.

Tailwaggers 4 Sisters Tapas Restaurant Address: 958 Liberty Drive, Suite 106, Verona, WI 53593 Principal owner or leader: Corynn Wieland Opening date: Oct. 2017 Number of employees: 20 Charity connections/plans: Fetch WI Rescue Verona connection: Great opportunity for growth in the Verona community in Liberty Park Development Business focus: Extensive wine list, culinary creative food, quality products used, fresh What’s special about your business? We use high quality ingredients, including day boat scallops, prime beef and locally sourced greens.

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September 27, 2018

Verona Progress

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Road infrastructure negotiations succeed, then stall The most significant factor in determining whether the pool and turf fields for the new Verona Area High School would be affordable remains an unknown after more than a year of discussion between the school district and City of Verona. The Common Council and school board approved an agreement in May outlining intersection improvements the district would pay for, money the city would pay in

return for the Sugar Creek Elementary School land and specifying a road from the new high school to South Nine Mound Road. At that point, all that was left was for the district to acquire land from S&E Enterprises, an excavating company with property between Nine Mound and the site. The road’s proposed layout would cut the property in half, forcing the business to move, and that left the

landowner asking for at least $2.5 million for the right-ofway through it, much more than the district had anticipated. As negotiations fizzled between the district and S&E, school district officials returned to the city asking alders to consider alternative options again – and quickly, as decisions on the project scope and construction plans loomed. Specifically, they asked to

revisit the idea of a road connecting to Paoli Street, which had been part of the initial plan prior to the referendum. Initial talks with the Coating Place had limited the district to building a road 500 feet from the U.S. Hwy. 18-151 interchange, half the distance the state Department of Transportation’s usually requires, and members of a city committee indicated the city would not support a petition for a waiver.

The most recent options being considered, according to an open records request fulfilled late last month, would allow for a road 800 feet from the bypass intersection, which city leaders have said they would support. But the tradeoffs brought concerns from superintendent Dean Gorrell because of the effect on the woodland area, which is planned for a school forest and cross country course.

Points being negotiated include a land swap with the Coating Place that would allow about one-third of the Stewart’s Woods property to be used for development or roads leading to development. Some of that land it is already owned by the Coating Place but not available for development, and some of it is already designated as a future access road for development on the southwest side of the city.

Photo by Scott Girard

The tower cranes Verona residents have been used to seeing around Epic are now at the Verona Area High School construction site.

VAHS: Groundbreaking ceremony held in April initially. A decision on those pieces, overall site plan, as well as which total around $2.6 milrenderings of specific parts lion, was expected Wednesof the building – including day, Sept. 26. the pool,performing arts center and various academ- Construction begins ic areas. Throughout months of Wi t h i n a c o u p l e o f negotiations over and access months, the latter would road, the most important step become the focus of anoth- of the last year was likely in er public meeting, as some April, as crews broke ground parents and staff expressed on the West End site. The 85 acres of developconcerns about security in the new high school after able land, purchased through the Feb. 14 school shooting a referendum in 2015, had in Parkland, Fla., that left to be flattened and graded 17 people dead. throughout to prepare for A month later, the district a building. That work has hosted a meeting to gather moved quickly, and while feedback and presented a some remains, pieces of the few of the options admin- building are now being put istrators and the project’s into place. architect were considering “There are gonna be tens to change the glass-heavy of thousands of kids that design some said wouldn’t are gonna go through those offer any place to hide in doors,” Gorrell said during the case of a shooter. the April 24 public ceremony. The district eventually He has since taken the settled on adding barriers in Press on a few tours of the every other room, with doors site, most recently as the between the rooms to allow eastern side of the buildstudents to access each room ing has had its floors put in without a view from the hall- and the shape of the “Main way corridor. Street” central corridor can The board has also contin- be seen. ued to consider the second The walls of the lower levpool, which district officials el of the fieldhouse are also hope would bring regional being put up, and the football competitions here, and turf field to the east can be made for the football and soccer out while looking down from fields, which could help the the main building area. school host regional events. Each was an additional Contact Scott Girard at amenity approved in August ungreporter@wcinet.com 2017 for the project that had and follow him on Twitter not been in the referendum @sgirard9. Continued from page 3

Rendering courtesy JSD Professional Services; Inc.

The latest site layout for the new Verona Area High School shows a street coming into the site from Nine Mound Road. The city’s public works committee will review a traffic impact analysis for the road Monday, Nov. 20.

Gorrell: Committee of 30 people will help produce district’s five-year strategic plan Continued from page 3

Committee utilized under the “About VASD” tab.

of these objectives. That work is Contact us ongoing this fall. I invite you to check out our You can find our agendas, minwebsite, www.verona.12.wi.us, utes from the meetings as well as resources the Strategic Planning and follow us on Facebook and

Twitter. As always, a standing invitation exists to all members of our school district to call, email or meet with me, or any district staff member, with questions you may have regarding your child or any school district operation.

Under our “For Community” tab on the website, you will find a “contact the district” page. To contact me directly, email gorrelld@verona.k12.wi.us or call 845-4310. The Verona Area School District is absolutely committed to our mission that

every child must be successful. And working together with families and the community, we can make this happen. Dean Gorrell is the superintendent of the Verona Area School District

www.connectverona.com

September 27, 2018

Verona Progress

Photo by Kimberly Wethal

New salt shed The state Department of Transportation finished building a new salt shed off of Nesbitt Road and U.S. Hwy. 18-151 this summer. It originally introduced the project to Verona, and the state redesigned it to resemble a classic barn after city leaders complained it would be “ugly.”

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A view of the County Hwy. M project in early September 2018 shows work from Prairie Oaks Drive looking north, including a tunnel at County Hwy. PD.

Road: Despite rains, project on track Continued from page 2 affect the project’s bottom line. “The rain we’ve gotten this year has definitely changed things,” he said. “We’ve lost a lot of the ‘float’ that was built into the schedule.” For anyone interested in following the project in

more detail, project managers are holding meetings at the Epic Annex building on the first Thursday of each month. The project is also connected to, though separate from, Verona’s plans to expand County Hwy. PD to four lanes to Northern Lights. The city completed the Northern Lights

intersection last summer and was planning to work on the rest of PD this year, but pushed it back to next year. Email Verona Press editor Jim Ferolie at veronapress@wcinet.com.

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