Committee eyes six alternatives for fairgrounds
Podcast Episode
Kyle Geissler talks with Janesville Gazette reporter Ann Marie Ames about options for moving the Rock County 4H Fairgrounds.
JANESVILLE — The Rock County Planning and Development Department on Wednesday presented six options for the location of a future fairgrounds and exposition center.
Most of the locations, which circle the city of Janesville, do not include specific properties. The department doesn’t even know if any landowner would be willing to sell, Economic Development Manager James Otterstein said.
The sites include:
-- County farm
Otterstein presented three options on the “county farm north” property, which is 314 acres of county-owned land along highways 14 and 51 in Janesville Township. Each the three county farm options would require up to $14.2 million in infrastructure upgrades, Otterstein said.
One option was the corner piece originally pointed out by the ag committee. The parcel runs straight north along highway 51.
The second option shows a fairgrounds footprint running east from highway 51, pushing its biggest front against highway 14.
The third option—and the one Otterstein called the most favorable of all six—would push the site to the northeast corner of the county farm property and include the Kuffer Pit.
The gravel pit, owned by the county, has not been mined since the 1990s and is slated as future recreational use site.
The three county farm options have the advantage of being adjacent to two state highways and are in a spot that fit Janesville’s draft long-range land use plan, Otterstein said. The property is assessed at $10 million.
-- Site 2, Harmony Township
This site is bordered by Highway 14, County A, Milton-Shopiere Road and County MM.
Land sales in the area typically are between $10,000 and $20,000 per acre, Otterstein said.
The area’s residential expansion lends itself to the need for a park, but it would take a lot of effort to determine if the land would be available and affordable, Otterstein said.
-- Site 3, La Prairie Township
The conceptual site is bordered by County O, South La Prairie Town Hall Road, Avalon Road and Interstate 90/39.
Land sales in the area typically range from $10,000 to $25,000 per acre, he said.
Land use is mostly agricultural, and the town has been a “staunch” advocate to preserve that, Otterstein said. But the Avalon Road interchange is one of the last undeveloped interchanges in Rock County, which would make it an “eyepiece,” Otterstein said.
-- Site 4, Rock Township
The site is bordered by South Hayner Road, Rockport Road, Afton Road and West Tripp Road.
Existing land uses are mostly agricultural and future urban transitional. Land usually sells between $5,000 and $12,000 per acre, Otterstein said.
The price is right compared the other options, but the site lacks some visibility, he said.
Using the county farm plan as a basis, it would cost about $9 million to upgrade infrastructure at the other three sites, Otterstein said.
What next in fairgrounds debate?
So what’s next in the fairgrounds discussion?
That’s a very good question, Rock County Agriculture and Extension Education Committee Chairman Neil Deupree said.
Deupree is not seeking re-election for his seat on the board, nor are committee members Brad Adee or Bill Agnew.
When the new board is elected, it will meet for an organizational meeting in April. So the first time a new ag committee could meet would be May.
Deupree said it will be up to the Rock County 4-H Fair Board and the public to encourage the new ag committee to keep working on the matter.
The committee wrote a resolution in February to set aside a 100-acre property directly at the intersection of highways 14 and 51 for a possible future fairgrounds. The Rock County Staff Committee in March shot down the idea, partly because of the high value of the land.
The ag committee then assigned the planning department to come up with other options, which were presented Wednesday.
Click here to view map of possible fairgrounds locations
Mar 30, 2008 at 3:03 p.m.
Suggest removal
ame8736 - our community needs to limit sprawl, period. If 4-H wants to buy land and build their own fairgrounds for their own 1 week per year use, then by all means, let that group do so. To ask Taxpayers to carve up a beautiful piece of farmland, pave and build state of the art facilities, and then hand it to the 4-H group on a silver platter, is ridiculous. 4-H does not own the fairgrounds, yet they are telling the County what we (taxpayers) need to provide them with. Sure the current location used to be farmland, but at this point, it can't be converted back, so that is a mute point. Bigger is not always better, and what's the rush?
Mar 28, 2008 at 11:46 a.m.
Suggest removal
I said it before and i will say it again where the fair grounds are currently are used to be farm land. It is to small of an area, no parking etc. Also I feel that it is suppsed to be a county wide fair not just for Janesville residents. Put it somehwere where everyone can enjoy it. One more thing, maybe if it was in a bigger better area they would be able to get bigger and better entertainment to preform then maybe eveyone would be happy---YEAH RRIIGGHHTT!!! that will be the day when no one complains
Mar 27, 2008 at 11:48 p.m.
Suggest removal
I agree with greengina. Also, the gravel pit area would not use valuable farm land and it's off the major highway. It would look nice cleaning up that area anyway. It's so hard for the farmers to haul their animals into town for the fair.
Mar 27, 2008 at 11:27 p.m.
Suggest removal
Oh great! Let's not use land the county already owns. Let's use emminent domain to drive some poor land owner off their family property in order to be near an Interstate exit and spend thousands of dollars on legal fees and "compensation". Our city and county governments are becoming as foolish and arrogant as our state and federal governments. I wonder how close we are to the same conditions that pushed our Founding Fathers into revolting against the government.
Mar 27, 2008 at 11 p.m.
Suggest removal
fbcoach/ the map is on page at bottom just click
Mar 27, 2008 at 10:58 p.m.
Suggest removal
The county property is the best all around as it is a location that is available for most adjoining cities and townships. And it is exactly that "county property". The access is great and it has the space needed. And the RCSD is close as to the security they already provide. It is the more realistic option......
Mar 27, 2008 at 6:42 p.m.
Suggest removal
I want to build a new house but the 40 acres that I already own is to valuable so I should buy more less valuable land to build my new house on. May be I should spend $80,000 and hire a consutant to tell me what I already know. (DUH)
Mar 27, 2008 at 6:19 p.m.
Suggest removal
Okay, I'm undecided on this, but I'd like to have a link to the map on this website. The descriptions are okay, but an enlargement of the map would be nice.
Mar 27, 2008 at 3:11 p.m.
Suggest removal
i think moving the fair grounds is a great idea. the reason i say this is because i show at the fair and if the fair is not in the heart of town it's gonna make getting a cattle trailer in and out of there a lot easier. so i agree 100% with the moving of the fair grounds!!
Mar 27, 2008 at 11:36 a.m.
Suggest removal
putting the fair near rock co, center of comerance and population makes good managment in all aspects
lets ex out the none fesable spots and let the voters pick one they will support its rock co. grounds they are looking at putting it on not city grounds.
Mar 27, 2008 at 11:30 a.m.
Suggest removal
I agree 100% good greif........
Mar 27, 2008 at 10:14 a.m.
Suggest removal
This is rediculous!
Some of these alternative sites would take more farmland and convert it away from farm use!
What gives?
Farmland in our area should remain farmland. There are few places in the world with such high quality soil. Our farmland needs to be preserved and protected for the future use of Rock County and it's residents. I would highly recommend the people in these areas to consider a land trust or conservation easement of some sort (if there isn't already one), and the City of Janesville to consider placing a definitive boarder around the existing city and only build within those limits, to limit urban sprawl.
There are other options for the fairground location. It would make more sense to put it somewhere the infrastructure already exists.
Does it have to be in or near Janesville? Why not put in in the newly developed east side of Milton by the ethanol plant? Everyone is already moving out of the area, as it will soon be the offramp of the 26 bypass. Or how about in Newville? There's plenty of land for sale along the interstate there that isn't farmland or forest.
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