By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
Hoping to harness future development opportunities in the not-too-distant future, Whitewater officials are backing a plan to sell a city-owned lot within the Whitewater University Technology Park for future development.
The Common Council on May 14 gave City Planner Chris Munz-Pritchard and other municipal staffers the green light to proceed in having a certified survey map drawn up as a first step in selling and marketing the property, which is located at the intersection of Universal Boulevard and Technology Drive.
Munz-Pritchard brought the issue before the Plan and Architectural Review Commission earlier this month, and the panel gave a resounding recommendation to the full council.
Before granting approval, Munz-Pritchard went through a lengthy checklist to determine whether an additional development at the site would be in the community’s best interest.
The checklist included a look into whether a new building would positively impact property valuation and whether adequate municipal utilities were in place to accommodate new construction. In both instances, the responses back were “yes.”
Munz-Pritchard said the CSM will prime the site for “future sale ability” as city representatives seek out developers or specific businesses that would be suited for the technology park.
While plenty of questions loom, municipal officials have approved one official component of the process. At this point, the city is transferring ownership of the site over to the Community Development Authority (CDA), the appointed body that delves deeply into economic growth strategies for Whitewater.
CDA’s representatives will handle many of the finite details of the site, including negotiating a purchase price with an ultimate developer or business.
