Council OKs costs for Luna's relocation

By Adam Tobias of the Daily Times staff
Wednesday, May 21, 2008 12:14 PM CDT

The Watertown Common Council Tuesday approved a resolution reimbursing almost $30,000 to the owners of Luna's Market for relocation costs that resulted from the business moving to make way for the city's new public works facility.

The city displaced Luna's Market, which was previously located at 101 Western Ave., when it purchased the property in May 2007, and since that time the local grocery store has moved to 208 S. Third St.

The resolution calls for Jesus and Mary Luna, the owners of the business, to receive $29,495 for moving expenses, search fees and re-establishment expenses.

According to City Attorney Tom Levi, the city is required to pay for some of the relocation costs for Luna's Market because of state statutes.

In other action Tuesday night, aldermen approved a resolution authorizing the city clerk's office to purchase imaging software and a scanner from Computer Technologies for $10,810. The clerk's office will use the software to store old records.

ADVERTISEMENT

The final reading of an ordinance calling for the temporary placement of two stop signs at the intersection of West Cady and North Water streets was denied by the council. The two new signs would have created a four-way stop at the intersection.

The resolution called for the temporary stop signs to stay at the intersection until the North Church Street reconstruction project is completed, which is expected to be in November.

The city conducted a traffic study at the intersection on May 8 and the totals did not meet the minimum warrants to add the two stop signs, according to City Engineer Joe Radocay.

Alderman Steve Zgonc said the overall feeling of the Public Safety and Welfare Committee is the traffic at the intersection is moving well enough at this time that the new stop signs are not needed.

“The overall feeling was it is not broken right now because the traffic in both directions seems to be moving pretty well,” said Zgonc, who is also the chairman of the Public Safety and Welfare Committee. “So we decided in our committee to leave it as it is.”

“I have been at that intersection dozens and dozens of times since this construction started and it is relatively rare that there is eastbound traffic on Cady Street,” said Alderman Fred Smith.

“It is my sense that this is not needed and I think it would have the potential at certain periods of time of interfering with that east/west flow that the net effect would be a detriment,” he added.

Council members approved the final reading of an ordinance prohibiting heavy traffic on Scot Street from West Main Street to Meadow Street.

The first reading of an ordinance prohibiting parking on the north side of Falcon Court from the west curb line of South Twelfth Street to the east 350 feet was approved by the council.

Council members also approved a resolution adopting a natural hazards mitigation plan in the Jefferson County portion of the city. The city already has a natural hazards mitigation plan for the Dodge County section of Watertown.

The resolution is needed because the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 requires that a local unit of government must have an approved hazard mitigation plan before it can receive federal grant funds for pre-disaster projects from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Aldermen also approved a resolution designating the Watertown Daily Times as the city's official newspaper.

No one spoke during the public hearing on the city's proposed natural hazards mitigation plan, but several people brought up concerns on the planned unit development/general development plan of Bielinski Homes' Northfield Crossing subdivision off of Welsh Road.

Most of the residents who spoke during the Northfield Crossing public hearing said they were worried about the proposed subdivision because of potential flooding issues, the blasting of limestone in the ground and the small size of the lots.

“It (the subdivision) is very dense in population and it doesn't match our zoning,” said Mark Nauman, of 1306 Hadley Court. “We have another problem with the infrastructure. How much is it going to cost the city to blast if they have to blast? What's it going to do to all of our houses?”

“When we more or less did the math, it came out to they were going to put four properties in the same amount of property we have currently,” added Mark Jurgella, of 1304 Hadley Court. “I think it needs to be matched in order for it to work with us. I am not opposed to them building behind me, if they match our zoning.”

Dennis Whiting, of 713 Old Settlement Drive, said he was concerned with the subdivision because of storm water runoff that could occur.

“I know Bielinski has addressed that, and I guess the city has also, but I am concerned about it because I have a half-partial basement and I am one of the lowest ones around there and my sump pump right now runs in the springtime nonstop,” Whiting said.

Alan Peters, a representative from Bielinski Homes, said the developer would have to pay for any infrastructure in the subdivision or the blasting of limestone. He added the zoning of the subdivision would allow for the construction of four units per acre and that Bielinski is only looking to build 2.85 units per acre. Peters also said Bielinski is looking to create an areawide storm water basin on the parcel.

Although it was on the agenda, aldermen did not take action on a resolution preparing and filing an application for federal funding from the Community Development Block Grant program for the River Mill redevelopment project because it had already been passed at the previous council meeting.