Stanley Community Association to paint and spruce up Chapman Park playground equipment

The West Industrial Park, will be certified. Acting in reg ular session Monday June 20, the Stanley Council voted to allocate “no more than $50,000” for a plan to get the final 111 acres certified site ready. Mo tion was made by Al Haas and seconded by alderman Kevin Hendrickson.

The plan, which would see additional support from business and organizations including Dairyland Power and the Chippewa County Economic Development Corporation, means that Stanley would be on the map, development wise, as the state would then promote the city and its industrial park for new industries looking to locate in Wisconsin.

Prior to the vote on certifi cation, however, the council heard from citizens in a public hearing related to environmental and property concerns.

“I guess I’d feel safe if there were extra wells around your place that the DNR monitored,” local farmer Joe Tiry told Northside Elevator representatives at a hearing Monday June 20 on a site to be located in the west Industrial Park including fertilizer. Tiry had experienced problems with cow fertility linked to ground nitrates, with the common fertilizer component potentially forming ground plumes which could then travel Northside Elevator director of operations Dean Schiller said that most unloading took place indoors, while Plan Commission member Jerry Allen listed a number of sources for nitrates over the years.

“All that can have an impact,” he said of the cumulative euect predating Northside's in terest in expanding to the area. “I don’t think we’re trying to hide anything,” Schiller said for Northside regarding the plant, stating that nine diuerent fertilizer types would be used and blended into what soils required. The site with multiple entrance points on 345th Street would see construction of three main parts this year: a rail line, fertilizer plant, and 20,000 square foot warehouse.

The deal, contingent on rezoning of the property from AG-1 Agricultural District to I-1 Industrial District, saw initial steps Monday with the approval of an annexation ordinance for land previously in the Town of Delmar, with full details of the ordinance on page 9 this week. Motion was made by Kevin Hendrickson and seconded by Laurie Foster to rezone as recommended by the Plan Commission, an ordinance on such coming at the next Council meeting. The municipal boundary change was reviewed by the Wisconsin Department of Administration, which reviewed it in line with State statute 66.0217 (6) to determine if it served the public interest. So what about Delmar on the annexation?

“I did go out to a town board meeting there to answer questions,” Schiller said for Northside's end, with the firm had also sent a letter to the Town of Delmar clerk and the City on the matter.

Tiry meanwhile, was still concerned.

“I’d like to see them put in wells around so that we know,” he said of nitrates and possible groundwater contamination from the development. The Planning Commission recommended rezoning the land as part 2 of the deal, with a prospective ordinance on this to be addressed at the next council meeting.

From there it was into the regular council meeting, where Mayor Al Haas had an announcement to make.

“We need to strike number 9,” he said of the Council agenda. Number nine on the Council agenda referenced a separate and potential land sale to Joe Winger, while the Stanley Community Association had plans of its own: sprucing up the playground at Chapman Park. A letter to the City from SCA President Kristi Weiland laid out some details.

“You may remember that improvement of the playground at Chapman Park is one of the current goals of the Stanley Community Association (SCA),” Weiland wrote. “We have shifted our focus from completely replacing all existing equipment to enhancing what is salvageable now and adding new equipment as we gather enough funds.” As such, the SCA was asking to cover exposed concrete footing, fill- in low spots with dirt to return these to ground level, and do other maintenance of the park like painting some equipment.

“The SCA would fully fund this project,” Weiland wrote of painting pickle ball lines on the existing tennis courts, while also expressing curiosity as to whether funds existed in the tourist or other fund for work on the playground aspect, used by campers.

“We…would gladly accept help if the city felt they wanted to oversee the project,” Weiland wrote. Last but not least, there were splash pad insights.

“We would like to share some information in regards to our desire to get a splashed someday,” Weiland wrote the Council. “Splash pads need a covered, enclosed building to house the pumps and other equipment. If there is to be a building put up at Soo Line that will include bathrooms, we are hoping you would consider adding in a room for the future use as a pump/storage room,” she wrote.

As to dimensions, Weiland wrote that a 2,400 square foot splash pad as the largest the SCA would get , would require a pump room 12 x 14 feet for ease of maintenance.

“The absolute smallest possible would be 7 x 12,” she wrote. Research findings for the splash pad also include recommendation of a 3/4 inch water line for autofill and a 100 amp sub panel for electric (a sub panel is one dedicated to a specific purpose). "We know there are still a lot of unknowns for this city in regards to if that project will take place, but please keep us in mind,” Weiland wrote. “We are at a standstill on that project until we find out for sure if that pump room will be available.”

Not addressed or mentioned by Weiland but near certain given estimates of the repair cost involved, is the teardown of the 1906 depot at the South end of Emery Street.

Taking several hundred thousand dollars if any chance were entertained to save it and with zero FEMA dollars received from last year’s tornado, look for continued changes downtown this year and moving forward.

The Stanley Community Association is looking to spruce upequipment at the Chapman Park playground. Image from June 20 Council packet.