October 2007
9915 39th Avenue • Pleasant Prairie, WI 53158
TIME DATED MATERIAL
Railroad Petitions to Close Bain Station Road
to reports of the proposed closings
expressed skepticism over the logic.
Bain Station Road at the Union Pacific Crossing
facing east toward Highway 31.
On Thursday, August 23, 2007, Union
Pacific Railroad filed a petition with the
State of Wisconsin to close Bain Station
Road between Highway 31 on the east
and Highway H on the west. According to
the petition, there have been three traffic
accidents between automobiles and
trains with reported injuries and property
damage during the past 28 years (since
1979). Approximately 4,380 trains (12
per day) travel the crossing each year
(according to a Crossing Consolidation
Study). The petition cites safety as the
reason for the proposed closings along
Bain Station Road. Public response
Union Pacific Railroad operates as a
subsidiary of Union Pacific Corporation
(NYSE:UNP), and is the largest railroad
in North America. Union Pacific Railroad
has 32,300 miles of railway route
across the country and connects to
other major transportation systems as
well. The company transports freight
across the country for a variety of large
enterprises and also runs a commuter
train operation out of Chicago.
On Monday, August 20, the Village
Board adopted a resolution opposing
the closing of the railroad crossings
along Bain Station Road. The resolution
identifies Bain Station Road as an
“important transportation alternative”
between the two highways. Language
in the resolution also refers to the
proposed closings as contrary to
existing,
regional
transportation
plans. It also highlights uses of the
road by municipal departments and
citizens, citing access to drainage and
floodplain areas adjacent to the WE
Energies Pleasant Prairie Power Plant
property and citizen access to schools,
businesses and government facilities.
In addition to the uses highlighted in the
resolution, Bain Station Road is used by
the Pleasant Prairie Police Department to
save time when responding to calls. The
Fire and Rescue Department also uses
Bain Station Road to access wildlife areas
adjacent to the railroad in the event of fire.
Without access through Bain Station Road,
it would be difficult for the department to
access the land.
Adoption of the resolution by the Village
Board authorized the Village Administrator
to engage legal representation on behalf of
the Village in legal proceedings designed
to stop the proposed closures. A similar
resolution to the one adopted in Pleasant
Prairie was adopted by the Kenosha
County Board on Tuesday, August 21
opposing similarly proposed closings in
the Town of Somers. Area residents who
would like to express their opinions about
the petition to close Bain Station Road may
email railroadresponse@plprairie.com.
Those without access to email may mail
a letter to: Railroad Response, 9915
39th Avenue, Pleasant
Prairie, WI 53158.
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Redevelopment Plans
Underway for Blighted Area
Developer to Pay for Cleanup at Site through Tax Increment District
During a September 5 meeting, the
Pleasant Prairie Community Development
Authority (CDA) officially adopted a
resolution declaring a property located at
the corner of 91st Street and 22nd Avenue
to be blighted. e CDA prepared a
Blight Determination Study, which
included ndings from Phase I and II,
Environmental Assessments performed
by Drake Environmental, Inc. e
ndings showed tetrachloroethene to
be contaminating both the soil and the
groundwater at the property.
Tetrachloroethene is a chemical solvent
commonly used in dry cleaning. In
addition to the results of the environmental
study, other factors leading to the
determination of blight were: substandard
and deteriorating structure, unsanitary
and unsafe conditions, and a combination
of similar factors. e building was
formerly a 5-unit strip mall but is currently
vacant. e property has been negatively
affected by re damage, water damage,
mold growth in the walls and ceiling tile,
vandalism, dumping, exposure to the
elements and general deterioration. e
building, in its current state, has a negative
impact on public health and the soundness
of the community.
A Developer has proposed plans to
remove the contaminated soil, install
improvements on the property, and
construct 28 condominium units. e
Developer approached the Village to
request that a developer funded Tax
Increment District (TID) be developed
to aid in cleanup of the site. rough
the TID, the Developer would be solely
responsible for nancing the project and
could repay the portion of his loan related
to removing the contaminants with tax
collected from the property until the debt
was satised. e Village would bear no
nancial responsibility for the cleanup
and redevelopment at the site. Without
the creation of the Tax Increment District,
the site would remain in its current state of
contamination and disrepair.
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e proposed cost for clean up at the site
is $715,365. is proposed cost includes
funds for four major restoration areas:
environmental investigation, cleanup,
monitoring and closure; demolition of
the existing structures; installation of
site specic structure, such as gas, water,
sanitation, electrical and paving to control
the migration of the contaminants; and
administrative costs and payment of
delinquent special assessments.
During an August 27 meeting, the Plan
Commission adopted a resolution to
designate boundaries for TID #4 and
approved a dra of a project plan. During
a subsequent public hearing held regarding
TID #4 on September 10, the Commission
put steps in place to advance the cleanup
and redevelopment plans. Matters related
to the project will now move on to the
Village Board for their consideration.
If the Village Board approves the items,
more detailed planning for cleanup and
redevelopment will take place.
It is currently proposed that four sevenunit condominiums will be built at the site
on approximately 3.2 acres of land, with
approximately 53% of the land, or 1.69
acres, remaining as open space. e open
space will include two dry stormwater
management basins on the northern
corners and areas for tree preservation
along the southern property boundaries.
e Developer anticipates beginning
cleanup at the site within the next several
months and hopes to have the site ready
for construction of the condominiums
to begin by May of 2008. It is anticipated
that each building will take approximately
six months to complete with construction
on the nal building beginning during the
fall of 2009.
Residents who attended the September
10 meeting of the Plan Commission
raised concerns during the public hearing
regarding the project. During the hearing,
residents’ questions were answered by
Village Staff and a representative from
Send feedback and mailing address changes to newsletter@plprairie.com.
Drake Environmental. Staff also explained
that if the project does not proceed it is not
likely that another party would be willing
to tackle the contamination issues at the
site, and it would likely remain as it has for
the past several years, in its contaminated
state.
At the conclusion of the public hearing,
residents joined Village staff and the
representative from Drake Environmental
in a separate area to receive additional
information and to further discuss their
concerns. Information discussed during
the meeting was shared with each of
the residents who remained. During a
subsequent meeting of the Village Board,
a member of the Board addressed residents
directly affected by the site to ask if they
were satised with the plans to cleanup
the site. Residents present responded
affirmatively in support of the cleanup.
e Pleasant Prairie Café was held Tuesday,
August 21. Around 90 participants attended
to contribute ideas and help guide future
growth within the Village. Attendees worked
cooperatively in café style discussions to
answer three separate questions. Each question
was designed to take participants from their
perspective of the past and present to what
they envision thirty years into the future.
uestions were guided by a representative
from the UW-Extension who facilitates café
style meetings for groups around the state.
e outcome of each question was recorded
for use by the Village staff when updating the
Comprehensive Plan for the Village. Table
Captains recorded a variety of themes that
recurred throughout the many discussions that
took place, as an artist illustrated the common
themes. At the end of the evening, recurring
suggestions and themes were shared by the
Table Captains. General themes and ideas
collected at the end of the session included:
• Positive Community Involvement and
Communication – Stay Informed and Involved;
• Continue Planning for Well Balanced, High
Quality Development;
• Incorporate More Bike Trails and a Park
System to Maintain Green and Prairie Areas;
• Promote Pedestrian Environment;
• Incorporate More Cultural (music/dining/
shopping/art/theater/literature) and
Recreational Amenities to Establish Village as
a Destination Point;
• Consider Smaller/Quaint Developments for
Old World Character and Charm.
A more detailed recap of the questions and
responses shared during the Café, once
available, will be posted online at
PleasantPrairieOnline.com.
TRICK or TREAT
Trick or Treat in the Village of
Pleasant Prairie will be held
Sunday, October 28 from 3-6pm.
EMAIL NEWSLETTER
An email version of the Village Newsletter
will be available soon. To begin receiving your
Village Newsletter via email, please visit
PleasantPrairieOnline.com . To register, click
on the “Village Email Newsletter Sign Up ”
box, found at the bottom of the main page.
Seeking Answers & Solutions
through Your Village Board
Members of the Pleasant Prairie
Village Board recently debated
changes to the order in which
they conduct business during
their meetings. In light of the
extensive discussion that took
place, members of the Pleasant
Prairie Village Board have offered
a more efficient course of action
for citizens seeking resolution to,
or action on, a concern brought
before the Board. Citizens who
are seeking a decision or action
regarding their concern, and
feel that it can only be resolved
before the Village Board, are
asked to contact Village Hall or a
Board Member directly with their
concern. If the concern cannot
be resolved by the appropriate
department within the Village, the
Board and Village Administrator
can schedule the topic for
placement on a future Village
Board Agenda.
This alternative was offered in
response to discussion regarding
the Citizen Comments section
of the Village Board meetings.
The discussion stemmed from
two competing objectives of the
Village Board members. One
objective is to maintain an open
dialogue between the Board
members and residents through
the Citizen Comments and Village
Board Comments sections of the
meeting. The other objective is
to abide by Wisconsin’s “Open
Meetings Law” and not discuss
at length, or take action on, any
topic that was not pre-disclosed
to the public on the agenda.
Those who present during Citizen
Comments see members of
the Board listening but hear no
response. Members of the Board
hear the comments and concerns
but may offer no solutions or
commitments, because in doing
so, they would be in violation of
the law.
By presenting an issue or concern
to the Board prior to a Village
Board meeting, as opposed to
addressing it during the Citizen
Comments section of a meeting,
the Board has the appropriate
amount of time to listen, research
and react. When necessary, the
item can then be addressed by
the Board after it has been placed
on the meeting agenda and public
notice of the topic has been
legally posted. Citizen Comments
still serves a valid function in
maintaining a citizen’s right to
share opinions, information and
ideas with the Village Board
during public meetings. However,
citizens are asked to recognize
that the Board cannot legally
have extensive discussion or take
action on a non-publicly noticed
topic. Contact information is
listed below for citizens wishing
to contact Village Hall or a Village
Board member to discuss a topic
for a meeting agenda. Contact
information is also available online
at PleasantPrairieOnline.com.
John Steinbrink, Village President
(262) 694-5863
john@presidentsteinbrink.com
Monica M. Yuhas, Trustee #1
(262) 694-9988
monica@monicayuhas.com
Steve Kumorkiewicz, Trustee #2
(262) 694-2873
kumorkiewicz@aol.com
Clyde R. Allen, Trustee #3
(262) 694-6272
clyde@clyderallen.com
Michael Serpe, Trustee #4
(262) 694-6829
plpr179f@sbcglobal.net
Michael R. Pollocoff, Administrator
(262) 925-6721
villageadmin@plprairie.com
Jane M. Romanowski,
Clerk/Asst. to the Administrator
(262) 694-1400
clerksoffice@plprairie.com
Send feedback and mailing address changes to newsletter@plprairie.com.
3
Water Detention and Retention Basins
Basins used as Stormwater Management Tool in Residential Development
In compliance with State guidelines for management of
stormwater, the Village of Pleasant Prairie has adopted a
standard set of practices to manage the volume of stormwater
runoff and to improve the quality of the runoff that returns
to our natural waterways. In residential development, some of
the main tools for stormwater management include: erosion
control practices; the installation of storm sewers for all new
development; the installation of concrete curb and gutter for
new development; and the installation of water detention and
retention basins for new development. In May of 1991, the
Village adopted an ordinance outlining some of these measures
to help achieve the desired results of stormwater management
and decreased pollutants in our natural waterways.
One of the main components in the ordinance is the
construction and proper maintenance of detention and
retention basins. Detention ponds are commonly dry basins.
eir purpose is to delay or slow the release of stormwater
runoff. Retention ponds are commonly wet basins. eir main
purpose is to store stormwater in order to reduce or eliminate
its surface discharge and, through particle settlement, reduce
pollutant concentrations. e Wisconsin DNR has issued
performance standards for development that require that 80% of
pollutants be removed from stormwater before it is discharged
downstream. is requirement can be accomplished with the
construction of a wet retention basin. e design of a basin
will depend upon several factors, including: which watershed a
particular property naturally drains toward; the characteristics
of the particular watershed; and the characteristics of the
proposed development for the property.
For each new residential subdivision that has been planned in
Pleasant Prairie since 1991, stormwater management basins,
either dry (detention) or wet (retention), have been required.
e basins (ponds) in each community help residents to
meet the State requirements for limiting groundwater runoff
pollution. ey also help to prevent ooding of surrounding
home sites and areas during heavy rain events. e nancial
responsibility for the planning and construction of the ponds
falls on the developer of the subdivision who will directly prot
from the improvements made to the land.
Upon satisfaction of certain preset criteria, responsibility for
the retention or detention basin(s) is transferred from the
developer to a Homeowners Association. e homeowners in
the area are then responsible for maintaining the basin (pond)
so that it will function as intended. Homeowners Associations
of all sizes throughout the Village manage the maintenance of
their ponds according to the needs of their specic community.
Some perform most of the maintenance themselves; while
others contract out for a majority of the related duties, and still
others use a combination of the two approaches. In general,
maintenance for the ponds includes maintaining the turf
appropriately, as to prevent erosion of the surrounding banks,
and keeping the ponds in a generally aesthetically pleasing state
(see note at bottom of page).
Since the ordinance relating to stormwater management
was adopted in 1991, the Village has required that each new
residential community manage the nancial responsibility
associated with their own subdivision’s ponds. e Village
Land Division and Development Control Ordinance does not
allow property tax dollars to be spent to support new residential
development in the Village.
Instead, the Village requires that each new development support
itself nancially. In short, existing taxpayers will not have to pay
for expenses caused by new development within the Village.
With this approach, the Village aims to curb the damaging
effects of heavy rainfall events and improve the quality of
water returned to our community’s waterways without having a
negative nancial impact on the taxpayer.
More specific maintenance suggestions, regarding how to keep your pond in an aesthetically pleasing state, are available at
PleasantPrairieOnline.com. Visit the related news article (under News) and select “view PDF” at the end of the article.
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News and information about your local government is also available at PleasantPrairieOnline.com and on Time Warner Cable Channel 25.