MONROE - Common Council members could not reach a decision Wednesday after voting whether to continue consideration of a 40-unit, three-story apartment complex planned for construction north of the Square along 8th Street and 16th Avenue.
The 4-3 vote failed due to a lack of majority approval by the nine-person council. Two aldermen abstained. Despite the failure, steps can still be taken toward reaching an agreement with MSP Real Estate. MSP is based in Mendota Heights, Minnesota, but has offices in Madison and Milwaukee. The company has developed apartment buildings in a number of Wisconsin communities.
Aldermen Jeff Newcomer, Richard Thoman, Tom Miller and Michael Boyce voted in favor. Charles Koch, Chris Beer and Ron Marsh spoke against the development. Fellow council members Brooke Bauman and Reid Stangel abstained from voting. Bauman cited her position as president of the Green County Historical Society, which protests building on the parking lot because it serves as parking space for visitors of the Green County Historical Museum. Stangel told fellow members he did not feel comfortable making a decision about the future just before he finishes his final term in two weeks.
Thoman noted months of discussion about the project has focused on negative aspects and neglected to point out positive aspects.
"We need housing," Thoman said. "I want us to focus on growth and solutions rather than the negative."
Thoman said he understands some of the concerns brought forward by some residents of the city but sees a number of possibilities in the growth of downtown through a housing investment. As a part of the initial proposed agreement by MSP, the city would contribute roughly $615,000 from Tax Increment District 7, where the lot is located. Newcomer echoed Thoman and pointed out local businesses, such as Colony Brands Inc. and Monroe Clinic, have expressed a need for housing to accommodate employees.
"This is a step toward helping that," Newcomer said. "This is a project that's going to be successful and show other developers it is worth building like this in Monroe."
Marsh denounced the idea. He said TID 7 is already in debt and expressed an interest in placing this type of project in a newly developed TID in the future. Beer said the issue was one of parking and how fewer options could affect downtown visitors.
Boyce, who has expressed a dislike of TIDs as a development funding source, said focusing on parking downtown directly contradicts the 2015 Monroe Comprehensive Plan and that an apartment complex with contributing tax revenue would be more financially beneficial to the city than a parking ramp.
"This project might create further development," Boyce said. "The comp plan wants the downtown to be more walker-friendly, biker-friendly, not 300 more autos every day. I have shared concerns about the financial liability, but this gets us the closest to breaking even to date."
City Administrator Phil Rath said there is a limited possibility any project will make up for the TID 7 debt. However, the addition of the complex could make up revenue if the life of TID 7 is extended from its initial end year of 2031.
Council members also approved a proposal from Fehr Graham & Associates to conduct soil borings for $4,500, which can be used by MSP Real Estate or other developers to decide what type of foundation would be needed at the site and whether underground parking can be built.
The 4-3 vote failed due to a lack of majority approval by the nine-person council. Two aldermen abstained. Despite the failure, steps can still be taken toward reaching an agreement with MSP Real Estate. MSP is based in Mendota Heights, Minnesota, but has offices in Madison and Milwaukee. The company has developed apartment buildings in a number of Wisconsin communities.
Aldermen Jeff Newcomer, Richard Thoman, Tom Miller and Michael Boyce voted in favor. Charles Koch, Chris Beer and Ron Marsh spoke against the development. Fellow council members Brooke Bauman and Reid Stangel abstained from voting. Bauman cited her position as president of the Green County Historical Society, which protests building on the parking lot because it serves as parking space for visitors of the Green County Historical Museum. Stangel told fellow members he did not feel comfortable making a decision about the future just before he finishes his final term in two weeks.
Thoman noted months of discussion about the project has focused on negative aspects and neglected to point out positive aspects.
"We need housing," Thoman said. "I want us to focus on growth and solutions rather than the negative."
Thoman said he understands some of the concerns brought forward by some residents of the city but sees a number of possibilities in the growth of downtown through a housing investment. As a part of the initial proposed agreement by MSP, the city would contribute roughly $615,000 from Tax Increment District 7, where the lot is located. Newcomer echoed Thoman and pointed out local businesses, such as Colony Brands Inc. and Monroe Clinic, have expressed a need for housing to accommodate employees.
"This is a step toward helping that," Newcomer said. "This is a project that's going to be successful and show other developers it is worth building like this in Monroe."
Marsh denounced the idea. He said TID 7 is already in debt and expressed an interest in placing this type of project in a newly developed TID in the future. Beer said the issue was one of parking and how fewer options could affect downtown visitors.
Boyce, who has expressed a dislike of TIDs as a development funding source, said focusing on parking downtown directly contradicts the 2015 Monroe Comprehensive Plan and that an apartment complex with contributing tax revenue would be more financially beneficial to the city than a parking ramp.
"This project might create further development," Boyce said. "The comp plan wants the downtown to be more walker-friendly, biker-friendly, not 300 more autos every day. I have shared concerns about the financial liability, but this gets us the closest to breaking even to date."
City Administrator Phil Rath said there is a limited possibility any project will make up for the TID 7 debt. However, the addition of the complex could make up revenue if the life of TID 7 is extended from its initial end year of 2031.
Council members also approved a proposal from Fehr Graham & Associates to conduct soil borings for $4,500, which can be used by MSP Real Estate or other developers to decide what type of foundation would be needed at the site and whether underground parking can be built.