Do you have an opinion about how the former Thompson farm should be developed?
Whether you hate big box stores or welcome the competition, Madison-based developer T. Wall Properties will be looking for your input at a public comment session Nov. 1 at the Verona Senior Center.
Two weeks ago, T. Wall, the largest commercial developer in the county, gave a presentation to the Verona Common Council of its vision for the property, which is in a prime location near the bypass and Epic Systems. After sensing the ambivalence of city alders, president Terrence Wall decided to get more information from the public before finalizing a purchase of the property from owners Rex Fletcher and Jerry Wuebben.
The purchase agreement is subject to a “free look” period that originally was set to end last Friday, but after T. Wall held individual discussions with some alders and other “opinion leaders” in Verona, it negotiated an extra month to decide.
“I feel confident that our plan will be well-received,” Wall told alders in an e-mail he sent last Thursday. “Therefore, our intent is to move forward with a submittal application for a conceptual plan approval.”
The council already has approved a concept plan for the property, one that was submitted this summer by Fletcher and Wuebben and contains a stipulation that no building will exceed 100,000 square feet. The T. Wall plan, called The West End, would have two buildings larger than that but would feature civic space for special events and second-floor apartments. It will go to the Plan Commission as a separate concept plan Nov. 6.
At the Oct. 9 meeting, the council seemed impressed by many of the details and the overall vision of the plan, but it also expressed quite a bit of concern about the plans for “big box” stores. Three members raised their hands when asked if they were “absolutely” unable to accept a business as big as 160,000 square feet.
At that meeting, Wall acknowledged the community’s reluctance to embrace business on such a large scale, but he also expressed hope that the integrated nature of his company’s plan would win people over.
“I am excited about becoming part of the Verona community and about the tremendous number of positive comments that we have received from members of the community to date,” Wall wrote to alders. He was unavailable for comment after the Oct. 9 meeting.
Every member of the Verona Area Chamber of Commerce has been personally invited to the community open house, which is open to the public. It begins at 6 p.m., and refreshments will be served. For information, call T. Wall at 241-2100.