VIROQUA, Wis. – The Viroqua City Council has been deliberating about what to do with the old city hall building on the corner of Decker and Main Street since last year when city employees officially moved from the old building into the new city hall building next door. The decision about what to do with the building has been the topic of numerous committee and council meetings since that time and it was on the agenda again this week at the councils regular Tuesday night meeting. The old structure has been a hot topic in local social media groups and a large number of citizens were in attendance to speak to the issue.
The topic was addressed in two parts of the meeting, with citizens voicing their opinions at the beginning of the meeting during the public comment period, and the council having their discussion under agenda item 12. A total of 12 people spoke during the public comment period, and all but one of the speakers were asking the council to slow down and take more time to consider more options before tearing the building down. Those who spoke cited the properties historic value and potential reuse that could add badly needed residential and commercial space to the city.
At a previous council meeting the council voted 7-2 to allow city personnel to continue the process of gathering information and numbers on what demolition might entail. In that same meeting earlier this month, the council rejected an offer from a local business owner to buy the building and property for $50,000 and renovate it, turning it into residential and commercial spaces. The council cited an overriding safety issue with the corner that has had a history or repeated traffic signal knock downs. For that reason the council rejected the proposal and voted to move ahead with demolition planning. You can read our previous story about that proposal here and the council discussion/vote here.
Public comments
One of the people to speak during public comment was Dian Krause. Krause is a local business owner and board member of the Vernon County Historical Society. Krause asked the council to pause and take more time to consider options because historic buildings are irreplaceable.
Dallas Severs who is the local resident who had offered to buy the property, also asked the council to slow down to consider options. Severs said the council should allow time for developers to come forward with ideas if they thought his offer was too low.
Another local business owner, Eddy Nix, who also serves on the Historic Preservation Commission, said he researched the property and found that nearly every important figure in Viroqua’s history had once had an office in the current building, or the previous one that sat on the site. Nix said one of Viroqua’s most important historical figures, Jeremiah Rusk, was the second owner of the property. The building that is there today was a bank before it was used as Viroqua’s City Hall.
Nancy Rhodes is a local business owner and former chair of the Historic Preservation Commission said she has been a part of the business development efforts in Viroqua since the city joined the Main Street program in the 80’s and also asked to council to reconsider tearing the building down.
“I have a lot of investment in this community,” said Rhodes. “A lot of sweat equity I’ve paid in this community and I I don’t think some of you at this table even understand the Main Street program that we’ve been involved in since 1987. So, I’ll quickly try to tell you about it. In 1987 sixty people in this community took an entire day of their life to look at a vision for this community. One of the results of that was that wanted to join the Main Street program which is the program from the National Trust of Historic Preservation which is a private organization housed in DC. They started with five example towns around the nation. Thinking that okay, if we make them look better through historic preservation that would benefit the economics of the communities, and it worked. So they franchised it to all the other states. Wisconsin took it on about 1986 or 1987. Viroqua applied and we were granted a Main Street designation. We had to raise money and we had to prove that we had that we could raise enough money for the next three years at that point, to support people like Chris Clemmons (Viroqua Chamber), an office and a staff person, all those kinds of people. And we’ve been doing that since 1986 or 1987. To date the city of Viroqua has invested, I’m gonna use that word invested, about $360,000 in the Main Street program through their donations. And it looks like to me, that we are at odds with each other right now. We’re supporting historic preservation because we’re supporting the Main Street program, but we’re talking about tearing down a historic building that we badly need in this community.”
Rhodes said the residential and retail spaces are badly needed by the whole community and for that reason the council should find a way to keep the building.
“We cannot afford to lose any buildings,” Rhodes continued. “We’ve already lost some, we cannot afford to lose anymore. We need as many spaces as we can provide for businesses. The businesses that bring people in that spend their dollars, that allow those people to pay their taxes. We need housing. We need property owners paying property taxes.”
Rhodes pointed out that there have been previous attempts to get State Highway 56 moved from Decker Street to Broadway and that the state highway currently runs past a city park, schools, a daycare and the county courthouse creating pedestrian safety issues. Rhodes said getting the state highway moved from Decker to Broadway on the west side of town would eliminate the tight turns for trucks driving south and turning east next to city hall, and eliminate large trucks in an area where there are more pedestrians.
Resident Mary Benson asked the council to try to convince the DOT to change the State Highway so large trucks don’t have to make the turn.
“I know you guys have worked a long time with a lot of other agencies trying to get the city or the state Department of Transportation to consider the public safety,” said Benson. “And this turn, it makes absolutely no sense that trucks go that route. It makes no sense whatsoever. It’s nothing but a public safety travesty, and again, I know you guys have worked hard on it but I just think you know, maybe this historical building has so many people seem to consider, is the organizing factor that could get the community behind you. To really, you know, as somebody else said think outside the box.”
Benson brought up the idea os possible prortest where residents would lay in the street to draw attention to the DOT of the possible death that could be caused by an incident at the location.
Carson La Belle was the only resident that spoke that was not asking the council to slow down.
“All of these arguments sound pretty good to me,” said La Belle. “But where have you been all year? I’ve been to several meetings and no one’s come up, including tonight, with a plan. You want to save it. You want to reroute the traffic. We would be, I suspect that, because people who can would reroute it, but motor vehicles (DOT) won’t let it. If you got find a problem but you don’t present the tiniest bit of a solution, what point is there? You dump it all on City Council.”
Aaron Parker is a city resident who is also a member of the historic preservation commission. Parker spoke abut the historic value of the building, and the esthetics of removing a building.
“I thought that council member Willis made an interesting point during the discussions (at a previous meeting) where he was talking about how unfortunate it is for any Main Street but especially one of the Main Street program to start knocking out teeth in their dental work on Main Street,” said Parker. “That was his term not mine, but I think it it speaks pretty loud to you know what you look like with the tooth knocked. I concur with with Eddie Nix on on his comments about the historic value. I think that Sonya Newenhouse makes a really good case about embedded energy. The energy that it took to put that building there in the first place. That that remains there, and how much more money and energy it would take to replace it with something that we don’t even know what we want to replace it with.”
Parker went on to ask the council to consider other ways to solve the traffic safety issue.
“The fact is that even if you tear this building down, we saw from the diagrams last time, you still can’t make that turn because the street light hasn’t been moved,” continued Parker. “If you move the street light then the street light won’t get knocked over. I thought it was interesting the the videos that we saw showed along semi trailer truck with something sticking 20 feet out behind it. That was really the thing that took down that light pole in that particular one. I think it’s really true that we have a problem with the turn at Decker instead of otherwise understanding that the road construction for alternatives may not be what it should be, but it seems to me that in the end this is a a serious rush to demolish a building without having any plan for what you’re going to do with it afterwards, which again is what council member Willis brought up in the first place, and it received a certain amount of support until the vote was couched in terms of are you a council member in favor of public safety or not.”
City Council discussion and vote
Alderperson Cyndy Hubbard, who is also the chair of the Historic Preservation Commission, presented more information on what the commission was asking the council for. City Administrator Nate Torres asked for clarification on the current status of the buildings designation.
“Is Historic Preservation wanting to move forward with asking the city to designate city hall a historic structure?” asked Torres. “Or you more coming at this saying that there’s history to the building and therefore… I’m just asking for clarification.”
“At this point we’re asking for, it’s historic and please consider that it’s, you know, once we tear it down it’s gone,” said Hubbard.
The council also asked Hubbard and Rhodes why the building was not designated as an historic structure previously.
“In my 15 years of being on the historic preservation Commission it was discussed many times,” said Rhodes. “The historic value of the building was unquestionable. It was not nominated by anyone. We were busy nominating 26 other properties. We felt pretty secure with the building we were in. There also were issues like Cindy mentioned, it’s a windows are not are not original which is part of the (current) proposal to change them back to what they were.”
City Adminsitrator Torres asked the members of the Historic Preservation Commission for specific criteria they may have discussed that makes the property historic.
“Historic Preservation Commission ordinance has a list of things that we use as sort of guidelines to say this building could be designated historic in the future,” said Torres. “Was this building reviewed against those guidelines and what was the outcome of that?”
“I just think that if there was a building or property even in this town that had more significance it would be hard to find,” said Nix. “Yeah, that was before my time on the council. I mean, I’d just say it ran the city for 80 years, if that’s not important,.
Nix went on to talk about the historic connections between the building and the history of the city.
“So he (Jeremiah Rusk) was, when it was it was originally a boarding, it was basically the second property developed in town,” said Nix. “And it was the first intersection. It was the first hotel. It was the first saloon. It was the first liquor store. The first murder happened there Jeremiah Rusk was the second owner of it, who bought it from the guy. It went through about 13 or 15 different owners up until the time and it burned down in about 1916, and then 1917 is when the bank was built and it has stood ever since like that. And just the list of there’s literally about 100 people that I found, either people who had offices there, important people, or important organizations, like the Red Cross and the Wartime Relief Fund and the Orphan in Children’s Fund and the Ladies Auxiliary Hat Making Club and just goes on. Maybe not a bunch of people here have have had those experiences with social organizations in that building but certainly historically this town did. And I think just that it it sustained running the city for almost 80 years is quite significant.”
The council then addressed the issue of moving the highway 56 designation from Decker Street to Broadway and what the DOT process might look and how long that could take. City Engineer and Director of Public Works Sarah Grainger said she has been on contact with the DOT about that issue and they did have any interest in owning the corner but they did give her an outline of what the process would like to ask for changing the designation.
“I’ve been hounding them,” said Grainger. “Maybe a year isn’t long enough about like, you know, we’re moving City Hall, like, is there any interest by the DOT about this? So they’re not wanting to purchase the parcel, the old City Hall parcel, but they do agree that it’s beneficial to improve the intersection and minimize signal knockdowns, and because we’re a connecting highway.”
Grainger said the process she received from the DOT looks like it would probably take four to five years to complete and there would be a cost to improve Broadway to get that section of street to meet state standards.
“I keep telling them (DOT) that time is of the essence, if you’re going to do something you need to think about it now,” said Grainger “So this is their answer. So they have no plans to do a jurisdictional transfer of 56. They discussed the potential to move but at this time. The DOT has not investigated that move, and have no immediate plans to review the potential move from the dot perspective, but if the city would like to pursue a potential transfer they can send the process and the steps for the city to solicit it. So it would come from us as opposed. And then they would give us a determination about moving it.”
Grainger said the DOT was in favor of the city making improvements to the corner of Decker and Main Streets if the building is removed.
The council then moved a section of the meeting to get feedback from public safety personnel at the meeting, mainly police and fire. Alderperson John Thompson is a former Police Chief and Fire Chief and still serves on the fire department.
the bottom line in what that engineer said was, that until you get rid of some of the buildings in this intersection you’re never gonna make it a decent intersection. Since that time we’ve had like three more remodels. Stop lights have been changed. Painted lines have been changed and we’re still at the same boat. There just isn’t enough room to do what we’d like to do and do it safely. You’ve said tonight about they ..should take time to think about it, we’ve been thinking about it, talking about this for years and years and years and years, and there just isn’t any easy answer.
Alderperson John Thompson
Alderperson John Thompson
“I think the first thing I remember is those buildings were built in that intersection was designed for Model T’s,” said Thompson. “And they were a lot smaller than vehicles of today. I started with the Viroqua Police Department in 1969, and very shortly thereafter the city hired an engineer to come in and evaluate how we handled traffic on Main Street. Specifically that intersection, and they came up with a design to try and make it better, and maybe it did, maybe it didn’t, the bottom line in what that engineer said was, that until you get rid of some of the buildings in this intersection you’re never gonna make it a decent intersection. Since that time we’ve had like three more remodels. Stop lights have been changed. Painted lines have been changed and we’re still at the same boat. There just isn’t enough room to do what we’d like to do and do it safely. You’ve said tonight about they should take time to think about it, we’ve been thinking about it, talking about this for years and years and years and years, and there just isn’t any easy answer.
Street Superintendent Chad Hoyum pointed out that if the city was successful in getting Highway 56 changed to Broadway it just create a similar problem on the other side of the intersection for trucks turning north on Main Street form East Decker.
Fire Chief Chad Buros said his number one concern is public safety and from that perspective the city has an opportunity he sees a serious hazard and recommended removal of the building.
I don’t care about the cost of the pole, but I do care about the pole and who it hits, or what it hits, right? We’ve been very lucky. We’ve been very lucky knock on wood. Everybody please knock on wood. But I have seen people get darn darn near killed at that intersection. Maybe around that corner, but at that intersection and it is not fun responding to calls dealing with that and I’ll guarantee you one day that will happen, and I will invite everybody to come and and help.
Viroqua Fire Chief Chad Buros
“I don’t have any interest in the building at all,” said Buros. “I don’t care if it stays. I don’t care if it goes. I have no skin in the game as far as that goes. My sole purpose standing here or working for the city as public safety. That’s where my answers come from. That’s where where my feelings for that intersection come from. We talk about the pole, and the cost of the pole, the pole coming down, and things like that. I don’t care about the cost of the pole, but I do care about the pole and who it hits, or what it hits, right? We’ve been very lucky. We’ve been very lucky knock on wood. Everybody please knock on wood. But I have seen people get darn darn near killed at that intersection. Maybe around that corner, but at that intersection and it is not fun responding to calls dealing with that and I’ll guarantee you one day that will happen, and I will invite everybody to come and and help.”
Buros went on to say the city and safety personnel have been waiting years to make the intersection safer.
Sorry, but I get really passionate about this stuff. But that’s my world and the rest of it doesn’t matter. So that’s why I say it it’s unimportant to me, the building, the light pole or anything like that. But someone that’s standing there, or someone that gets hit with that damn pole, that’s where the problem comes in. But we keep going and going and going time more time. I’ve seen this all over. I’ve been here for 25, I’ve been here for 45 years, 25 years on the fire department, it’s always more time, more time, more time. What about time for that family? Or that kid, or whatever? Do we have more time for that? Because I guarantee we won’t.
Viroqua Fire Chief Chad Buros
“We talk about time,” said Buros. “What is the magic timeline? John mentioned it’s been years and years and years and we’ve talked about it. So let’s wait longer. Let’s wait till someone gets killed. Oh, maybe we should have done something about it, because anybody in this room I will guarantee there’s about a half a dozen people in this room that will have to deal with that, and the rest of you won’t. Ideas are great. Concepts are great. It’d be great if the building could stay. I made that comment to some people the other day. It would be awesome if that building could stay, but there’s no other options. There are thoughts. There are potentials but are we willing to wait another five years to potentially move the road and just keep knocking on wood and hoping it doesn’t happen. Because it’s gonna happen. It’s gonna happen, and like I’m not gonna say the one that really bothered me, but it was close. Got lucky. So what about the one that’s not lucky? So let’s move that pole. We keep talking about that pole and it made this comment the other night, let’s replace that pole with a 12 year old kid or a three-year old kid, a mother standing there with their kid. The pole is part of the problem but it’s not thee problem, it’s the tires of the the semi or whatever coming over that curb. Who cares about the pole right? Poles can be replaced, but not that person sitting there. Or the person standing there. And that’s going to happen. Hopefully not during my time so I don’t want to deal with it, but I will be there when it happens. But I’m guessing most people in this room won’t. Sorry, but I get really passionate about this stuff. But that’s my world and the rest of it doesn’t matter. So that’s why I say it it’s unimportant to me, the building, the light pole or anything like that. But someone that’s standing there or someone that gets hit with that damn pole, that’s where the problem comes in. But we keep going and going and going time more time I’ve seen this all over. I’ve been here for 25, I’ve been here for 45 years, 25 years on the fire department, it’s always more time, more time, more time. What about time for that family? Or that kid, or whatever? Do we have more time for that? Because I guarantee we won’t.
Alderperson Tanja Birke made a statement about her reasoning for wanting to move ahead with demolition.
“I wanted to say thank you to all the folks who have added their voice to this conversation,” said Birke. “My husband standing over there and he can attest to the fact that this is been something that I’ve, you know, spent a lot of time stressing out over. I’m a huge supporter of historic buildings and preserving history. So this has been a really tough one for me. I wanted to just add a couple things, one is that I actually sat on the corner one day and watched the the light post fall down when a truck hit it. It happened in about 10 seconds. It did not take very long for it to come down and it landed smack in the middle of the intersection. I also was almost hit by a car a minivan had nothing to do with the truck. It had nothing to do with the light post, but I was almost hit by a minivan because of the sightline issues. This was about six or seven years ago. If I had been less mobile than I was I would have been hit by the car, but I had to run to get out of the way. I know of two at least two other instances of people who are almost hit by cars because of the sightline issues. Solving the light post issue will not solve the sight line issues.”
Birke also questioned why the site or building were never designated as historic prior to action taking place.
I’m just disappointed as a resident who would want to know why all of a sudden at the 11th hour it became important to preserve this building, but it wasn’t important to consider it that way in all the years it’s been standing there, and in the two years that it’s been vacant.
Alderperson Tanja Birke
“I’m also disappointed when I found out that the Historic Preservation Commission did not consider this building important enough to give it a certificate of appropriateness,” said Birke. “And they certainly have had two years while we built the City Hall to do so, and if it was something that important and it would fall under the historic preservation ordinance to protect it, we’d be in a completely different process right now. But that didn’t happen and I’m still, I guess, I’m just disappointed as a resident who would want to know why all of a sudden at the 11th hour it became important to preserve this building, but it wasn’t important to consider it that way in all the years it’s been standing there, and in the two years that it’s been vacant. So, I take that into consideration. Of course we all make mistakes and and we shouldn’t, you know we want to be able to to do the right thing, and I can assure you that that every single member of this council is doing their best to do the right thing. There’s nobody here that’s taking this process or this conversation lightly. I just know, I know most of these people very well, and I know some of you for a short time, but I know that you’re all taking this to heart.”
Birke encouraged more communication between the council and the Historic Preservation Commission in the future and she was in favor of pursuing the change of Highway 56 from Decker Street to Broadway Street regardless of the outcome of the city hall building.
Mayor Justin Running said the council has an opportunity to fix a safety issue and it would be irresponsible to pass up that opportunity.
We have an opportunity to fix it, and if we don’t take that opportunity, if something happens, personally I have a problem with that. So I know that’s a heavy statement, but I think it’s important that we have an opportunity here to potentially get out in front of a problem.
Viroqua Mayor Justin Running
“I think I want to say to the council that before you all have to make this decision is we’ve heard, we’ve had multiple meetings where we’ve heard from the public safety folks,” said Running. “And to Nate’s (Torres) point … this certainly, nobody wants businesses and and housing opportunities in this community more than I do. However, I think with the glaring public safety issue, I think you know one of the unfortunate parts about being in our position, where we have to make decisions is you kind of can’t un-hear things, right? Like we’ve all heard that it’s a horrible dangerous intersection, and it’s not been necessarily argued that it is by even folks in the in the audience. I mean it’s been acknowledged that it’s a hazard. We have an opportunity to fix it, and if we don’t take that opportunity, if something happens, personally I have a problem with that. So I know that’s a heavy statement, but I think it’s important that we have an opportunity here to potentially get out in front of a problem.”
City Administrator Torres presented to the council a budget for demolition, curb and gutter movement and changing traffic signals. Over all cost to completely clean up the site and make the street improvements is estimated at a around $208,000.
Torres also presented a rough sketch of what a green space with an historical marker might look like on that corner. No costs estimates have been gathered yet for that improvement since it is just a concept that has been talked about in previous meetings.
In the end the council voted 9-0 zero on a roll call vote to move ahead with demolition, and city staff will come back to the council at least one more time when contracts and costs have been finalized for that work.
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