By Kellen Olshefski
The City of Elkhorn Common Council voted in favor of skipping a proposed parking lot project in 2021 at a recent meeting. Instead, they decided to move the project – for the parking lot between South Wisconsin and South Washington streets – to the 2022 budget.
City Administrator Jim Heilman said at the Nov. 9 meeting, Kapur & Associates was able to pull together three options for the repair of the parking lot, ranging from a mill and overlay at about $187,000 to the top option at about $312,000. The lot primarily serves businesses and residents on South Wisconsin Street.
Heilman said what he would likely recommend would be the second option – estimated to be roughly $268,000. He said the reasoning is it’s uncertain what the base beneath the parking lot looks like and Kapur & Associates doesn’t actually recommend the simple mill and overlay.
With parking lot maintenance already scheduled for a Lincoln Street parking lot at $83,500, the addition of the parking lot behind South Wisconsin Street would have added about $180,000 to the 2021 budget, if the council were to choose the option Heilman recommended.
“I understand this is something we want to do, and I can certainly weave it into next year’s budget if you’re willing to wait that one year,” Heilman said.
Aldermen Ron Dunwiddie and Tom Myrin agreed that the Lincoln Street parking lot is in worse shape and in more immediate need of repairs at this time.
“I would rather see you put this one off, if I were honest,” Myrin said, noting that people avoid the Lincoln Street parking lot because of its current poor state.
Alderman Scott McClory said when comparing the two parking lots, the Lincoln Street lot is the one more commonly used by visitors to the city during events, such as the Walworth County Fair, whereas the other lot is generally used by businesses and residents.
Myrin also noted that with the success of Oktoberfest this year, he believes the Elkhorn Area Chamber of Commerce would like to hold more events in that area as well, and that the chamber is considering using the parking lot to host food trucks.
“There are future plans (for it) that aren’t being used right now,” Myrin said.
Heilman said while funds could be added into the 2021 budget to complete both parking lots, the funds would be included in the debt issue the city would submit, which would eventually likely result in a bump in the tax rate.
“I’m just saying that next year, without trying to move these projects around now, I can incorporate it in and it would be part of the plan from the very beginning,” Heilman said.
“I understand the downtown businesses would like to see this lot redone, and I think it should be part of our plan. I’ll work on making it a better plan if you don’t want to proceed this year, and mix it in to next year’s plan,” he added.
A motion by McClory to continue forward with just the Lincoln Street parking lot for 2021 – while ensuring that the lot behind South Wisconsin Street will be a priority in the 2022 budget – was approved by the council unanimously.
