Caledonia Argus

School, city to decide tonight on proposal for access road

Posted: 5/14/02

by Jane Palen
Managing editor

The Caledonia City Council and the School Board of ISD #299 will meet tonight and announce their decision on whether to accept a proposal made Monday evening by MaCal Developers which would result in the completion of access roads to the new middle/high school.

The two boards met in a joint session Monday evening along with representatives of Ma Cal Developers: Fred and Gary Kruckow, Don Gjere and John Esch.

Speaking for the developers, Fred Kruckow told the council that the land purchased from Gerald Loeffler, on which the developers had an option, was ìalmost a giftî at $3,500 an acre. He noted that another landowner, John Hall, received $7,500 an acre for his land. He added that when the sale was being negotiated, the developers told representatives who were negotiating on behalf of the school that there were still issues to be resolved. He said a preliminary agreement on the sewer was not finalized, and that the sewer now angles into the school property instead of following the street. Gary Kruckow added that the school ìpulled a fast oneî in moving the sewer to the west. He added that that there is no benefit to the Ma Cal developers to finish Esch Drive.

City councilman Mark Schiltz and School board member Bruce Bulman both said that when the site was being considered for the new school, they were told that Esch Drive would be completed as the main access road.

Superintendent Percy Lingen noted that all parties have a different perspective on the history of the situation, and asked that the dialogue be directed to the matter before them.

Following its last joint session April 17, the school and city agreed to offer to split the cost of developing the non-dedicated portion of Esch Drive between the school, developers and city at a cost to the developers not to exceed $30,000. The proposal at that time also asked the developers to finish the dedicated portion of Esch Drive to specifications. That proposal was not accepted by the developers.

At the meeting Monday evening, developers were asked again if they could support that proposal or come up with a different one, and meet again at a continuation of the meeting on Wednesday evening at 7:30 p.m. The Ma Cal representatives agreed, but came back a short time later with an offer for the city and school board to consider. Ma Cal Developers offered to give the land for the completion of Kruckow Avenue and Esch Drive to the city, and in exchange the city would put in the road at its own expense and provide underground utilities. The developers would not have to pay for any assessments, not would they participate in building sidewalks. The developers said that they would also provide all construction and utility easements. The school board and city agreed to give an answer at the joint meeting tonight.

The cost of the project, according to Mayor Robert Burns, would include about 1,000 ft. of street at an approximate cost of $200-$300 a linear foot, and 800-900 ft. of sanitary sewer at a cost of about $100 ft. The project, he said, could cost in the $400,000 range. There was no discussion on what the school districtís participation would be.

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