Sparta South Pointe Business Park

Nestled in the beautiful rolling hills of western Wisconsin, Sparta is the county seat of Monroe County. Once known for the healing powers of the local artesian springs, Sparta is now most recognized as the junction of the Elroy-Sparta and La Crosse River bike trails. Sparta’s claim as the “Bicycling Capital of America” is based upon the first rail bed in Wisconsin to be converted to bike trails, between Sparta and Elroy. Sparta is by far one of the best communities in Wisconsin in which to live and work. It is a progressive, business-friendly community. Our future is bright and full of opportunities with our newest South Pointe Business Park just off Interstate 90 and State Highway 27. With fully improved lots ranging in size from 1 to 120 acres, the park features convenient access to the interstate and includes community stormwater retention with each parcel. We are a leader in working with a diverse business population as well as providing a high quality of life for our citizens.

Site Features & Contact

No significant topography issues

Roadway access

No utility easements that would prevent development

Direct rail access

114.4 contiguous acres not affected by wetlands

Commercial airport access

No known environmental impediments to immediate industrial development

Freight airport access

No known archaeological/historical impediments to immediate industrial development

114.4 contiguous developable acres

No known impediments to immediate development related to endangered species

American Land Trust Association (ALTA) survey

Fire insurance classification rating 3

Site not located on or adjacent to flood plain

Industrial zoning

Flight path certifications not proximate of any airport

Single owner with documented willingness to sell

Todd R. Fahning
City of Sparta Administrator
Director of Community Development

608.269.4340 x232

www.spartawisconsin.org
WANT TO KNOW MORE?

Community Intro

Requirement Comments

Community overview

  • General community fit for industrial activity
  • The City of Sparta is a community of ~10,000 people located in Monroe County, Wisconsin. Sparta is also the county seat of Monroe County.
    Sparta (population: ~10,000) and Tomah (population: ~20,000) make up a significant portion of the population of Monroe County.
    Total labor force is about 65 percent of the city population; the largest employer is Monroe County.
  • Manufacturing and food processing are the major industries present in the area.
  • The largest employer, Mathews Archery Inc. (400 employees), is the top archery bow maker nationally and has lent an identity to the city of Sparta.
  • Other significant employers include Northern Engraving Corporation (auto supplier; 300 employees); Multistack (heating and chilling units; 200 employees); Century Foods (powdered milk, whey protein; 400 employees); Foremost Farms (100 employees); McDonnell & Owen Lumber (100 employees); and U.S. Silicone (50 employees).
  • The city is favorably located within 8 miles of Fort McCoy, a large military base (60,000 acres) with about 1,300 civilian, 400 military full-time and 300 contract personnel training at the compound. Major activities at the base include acting as a training facility for the National Guard Reserve and field artillery training. This base could serve as a huge asset for the city for potential employers looking to locate in the area.

Site environment overview

  • General surroundings fit for industrial activity
  • The site being proposed for certification falls within the Sparta South Pointe Business Park, which is located approximately 2.5 miles south of the Sparta city center.
  • Industrial operations in Sparta are generally clustered in the south-southwest area of the city. The site is located in this part of the city and is adjacent to agricultural use to the south, across the highway from commercial use to the west, and across the road from sparse residential uses and a small cemetery to the east.

Roadway access

  • Proximity to interstate and other highways providing convenient access for labor and logistics
  • Access roads in place to site, or plans in place to extend access road(s) to site
  • The site is directly adjacent to Interstate 90 to the north and State Highway 27 (four-lane highway) to the west, which provides ingress/egress access along the western boundary of the site.

Rail access (if applicable) not required

  • Feasibility of service (if site is to be marketed as rail-served)
  • Site not currently served by rail

Commercial airport access – Access to airport(s) with commercial air service

  • Driving distance to proximate commercial airport(s) and overview of service available
  • About 25 minutes to the La Crosse Regional Airport (LSE) – 26 miles directly on Interstate 90
  • About 1 hour and 30 mins to the Rochester International Airport (RST) – 96 miles directly on Interstate 90

Freight airport access – Access to airport(s) with freight air service

  • About 25 minutes to the La Crosse Regional Airport (LSE) – 26 miles directly on Interstate 90
  • About 1 hour and 30 mins to the Rochester International Airport (RST) – 96 miles directly on Interstate 90

Site Intro

Requirement Comments

Master site plan and/or site plan illustrating exact dimensions and number of parcels for the specific site being submitted for certification

  • Minimum of 20 contiguous developable acres

Aerial photograph illustrating the specific site being submitted for certification as well as the surrounding properties

ALTA Survey (American Land Trust Association) inclusive of site being submitted for certification

  • ALTA survey covering the entire site was performed in August 2017 and produced during the field investigations
  • ALTA map
  • Details document

Floodplain map (FEMA-produced FIRM map)

  • No part of the site may be located on (or directly adjacent to) a floodplain

Flight path specifications (if site is within 2 miles of an airport)

  • Documentation (letter or map from FAA) indicating any restrictions related to airport proximity
  • Not proximate (within 2 miles) of any airport; nearest airport is small, military and ~6.0 miles northeast of site
  • FAA letter

Ownership – entire site must be wholly controlled by a single owner with documented willingness to sell to an industrial user

Asking price – current asking price for sale or lease of the land must be indicated

  • Documentation of asking price on a per-acre basis

Topography – no significant topography issues that could present major obstacles to industrial development of the site

  • Topographic map with clearly defined contour intervals of 2’ or less
  • Current topographic map of the Sparta South Pointe Business Park has been produced
  • Site presently slopes slightly downward from south to north of the property with the high point (880’) and low point (824’), which results in an elevation change of approximately 55 feet (excluding an isolated mound at the south boundary of the site)

Easements – site not intersected by utility or any other easement that would prevent development of 20 contiguous acres of the site

  • Maps of all utility infrastructure directly proximate to (or intersecting) the site
  • ALTA survey covering the entire site was performed in August 2017 and produced during the field investigations highlighting all easements on the site
  • Easement No. 9 and No. 11 on the ALTA survey were blanket easements and further investigation revealed that Easement No. 9 expired in 1966. Easement No. 11 allows the Monroe County Telephone Company (MCTC) to install an underground telephone line on the property, but stipulates that MCTC must remove or move any line on the site within 10 days’ notice from the owner if the site is to be commercially developed. No telephone line was found on the site.

Wetlands – demonstrate that a user can utilize 20 contiguous acres that are not affected by wetlands

  • Wetlands delineation study was conducted (March 2017) by the Department of Natural Resources and provided during the field investigations
  • The study highlights a small wetland (Wetland 1) situated along the northern boundary of the site, which could potentially be completely avoided in development of the site.

Environmental assessment – no known environmental impediments to immediate industrial development

  • Phase I within the past 2 years; Remediated sites provide completed. Phase II and documentation of liability protection
  • Phase I ESA completed July 2016; de minimus finding of a REC (full oil drum on ground next to barn).
  • Documentation regarding the removal of oil drum has been provided and no further investigation is warranted at this stage.

Geotechnical

  • Minimum of 5 soil borings (for 20-acre site); no presence of sink holes or limestone caves; suitable water content/water table depth
  • Initial geotechnical study completed in August 2016 included 10 soil borings dispersed across a larger area ~180 acres, inclusive of the site proposed for certification. Three of those soil borings terminated at auger refusal on weathered sandstone at depths of less than 10 feet from surface, with two as shallow as 3 to 4 feet.
  • During field investigation, Deloitte suggested that additional soil borings should be conducted on the 114.4-acre site proposed for certification in order to establish a more thorough investigation of subsurface conditions on the site.
  • The City of Sparta commissioned a second geotechnical analysis consisting of 15 additional soil borings distributed across only the 114.4-acre site. Nearly all the additional borings encountered weathered sandstone at depths below surface of less than 10 feet, and in several of these borings, auger refusal was encountered at 3 to 6 feet.
  • The significant presence of weathered sandstone at depths of less than 10 feet across multiple areas of the site may significantly increase the cost and timing required for site preparation on the site, particularly if pits or deeper foundations are required.

Archaeological/Historical

  • No known archaeological/historical impediments to immediate industrial development
  • Archaeological survey conducted in July 2016 by personnel from Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center of proposed business park (including entirety of the site)
  • No artifacts were discovered on site and no concerns exist regarding any archaeological or historical impediments

Endangered species

  • No known impediments to immediate industrial development related to endangered species
  • Endangered resources review completed on July 26, 2016 by the Department of Natural Resources covering the entire area of the business park
  • Study indicted no presence of endangered resources within the study area

Fire protection

  • Fire Insurance Classification Rating
  • Distance to the nearest servicing fire department
  • Class 3 rating applies to the community. The site is 2 miles from the City of Sparta Fire Department.

Zoning

Requirement Comments

Industrial zoning (or equivalent) currently in place, or zoning change procedure underway as of field investigation

  • Zoning certificate and relevant ordinance; or, letter from municipal authorities communicating status of zoning change procedure as of field investigation date
  • The Sparta South Pointe Business Park has a zoning of M-3
  • The M-3 Manufacturing Industrial Park District is intended for use as industrial park with a detailed master plan and development standards. The permitted uses allow for light manufacturing and heavy manufacturing has been mentioned as a conditional use on the site.

Surrounding area zoning – zoning of surrounding properties compatible with industrial development of site

  • Comprehensive Plan of area (if applicable)
  • Zoning map of area including site (if applicable)
  • Existing/planned zoning of surrounding land
  • Codes, Covenants, and Restrictions on site and surrounding sites, as applicable

Electric & Gas Utility Infrastructure

Requirement Comments

Proximate electric power infrastructure availability and capacities

  • Utility maps indicating location and current size/capacity of proximate transmission lines, distribution lines, and substations; available capacity that could be provided to the site for each of the above
  • Xcel Energy provides transmission and distribution-level service to the region
  • The city of Sparta is served by two main substations (Sparta substation and Monroe County substation).
  • The Sparta substation consists of two 28 MVA transformers and is served by the transmission lines from Xcel Energy
  • Xcel Energy can provide service to the business park from the Monroe County substation (~2 miles from the site), which has 22 MVA available capacity and a 12.5kV distribution line that currently terminates across Hwy 27, adjacent west of the site

Detailed description of dual feed potential (current or proposed redundant service)

  • Overview (and map) illustrating dual feed electric service routes, including location, size and capacity of each node of delivery (substation, distribution line, etc.)
  • There is potential to provide dual feed service to the site from Sparta substation, which has two 28 MVA transformers

Introduction of any proposed improvements to/extensions of electric service to the site

  • Cost, timing and funding responsibility of any improvements required to provide proposed service to the site
  • An extension to serve the site has been proposed from the distribution line service to the Tyson facility located across from Highway 27 and this overhead extension will utilize the existing easement to cross Highway 27
    • After crossing Highway 27, the distribution line will be situated underground to serve all end users on the business park

Proximate natural gas infrastructure availability and capacities

  • Utility maps indicating location and current size/capacity of proximate transmission lines, distribution lines, delivery points, etc; Available capacity that could be provided to the site for each of the above
  • The current infrastructure includes a 2-inch line extending along Highway 27 that serves current customers but does have adequate available capacity
  • There is another existing 4-inch line along Highway 27 that can be extended to provide service to the site. The 2,700-foot extension will go under Interstate 90 and take about 6 months to complete and the available capacity on this line is between 20-30M BTU/hr

Introduction of any proposed improvements to/extensions of natural gas service to the site

  • Cost, timing and funding responsibility of any improvements required to provide proposed service to the site
  • An infrastructure project (called Sparta Lateral) has been proposed to completely serve the city of Sparta, which will involve running a high pressure line to the Sparta area from Tomah (slated for construction in 2018)

Proximate water and wastewater infrastructure availability and capacities

  • Water – Sparta has six existing wells at a depth of about 165-300 feet (400-1,000 GPM) as a water source and four water towers (three of them at ~600 gallons each and one at ~250 gallons). The available capacity is about 1.4MGPD
  • Wastewater – 15-inch gravity from the site to the sand mine where it will feed into a lift station at a distance of about 1.5 miles from the site. The available capacity of the lift station is about 135,000 GPD.
  • Supporting stormwater documentation

Introduction of any proposed improvements to/extensions of water and/or wastewater service to the site

  • Water – The Idaho booster station has two 12-inch mains to the site (high pressure and low pressure ). The low pressure main can be used to provide water to the site at about 35psi. There is an elevated water tank that can provide 3500 GPM @ 20 psi for fire suppression.
  • Wastewater – The capacity of the lift station can be increased to add another 165,000 GPD if required. The wastewater treatment plant has a built capacity of 2.5MGD and is currently utilized at ~60%.