North Mendota Energy and Technology Park

Located less than 10 minutes north of Madison, the Westport/Waunakee area has a small-town appeal accompanied by quick access to all of the amenities of Wisconsin’s capital city. Part of the North Lake Mendota region, the Town of Westport has a population of about 4,000, while the neighboring Village of Waunakee has about 13,000 residents and has doubled its population since 1990. With eight nearby colleges and universities—including the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Edgewood College and Madison College—the two communities boast a highly educated workforce that retains and attracts world-class employers. Endres Manufacturing, Uniek Plastics, Nord Drivesystems, Suttle-Straus, Scientific Protein Laboratories and Kerry Ingredients all benefit from operational facilities in the area.

UNSURPASSED QUALITY OF LIFE

Westport and Waunakee also offer a quality of life that is ideal for families, with more than a dozen municipal parks and several nearby county and state recreational areas, including Governor Dodge State Park. In 2015, Waunakee was named one of the top 10 communities for families in the U.S. by Family Circle magazine.

NORTH MENDOTA ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY PARK

This North Mendota Energy and Technology Park consists of 33 acres of contiguous buildable land over a 57-acre site located on the northwest corner of State Highway 133 and West River Road in Westport. The site is 5 miles away from I-94 and I-90/39, and has a Wisconsin & Southern Railroad line that runs along the western boundary. The park also is five minutes away from the Dane County Regional Airport, and Madison Gas & Electric has a substation directly across the southwest boundary of the site.

Site Features & Contact

No significant topography issues

Roadway access

No utility easements that would prevent development

Rail access

32.6 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

32.6 contiguous developable acres

No known impediments to immediate development related to endangered species

American Land Trust Association (ALTA) survey

Fire insurance classification rating 4

Site not located on or adjacent to flood plain

Industrial zoning

Single owner with documented willingness to sell

John Drury
Madison Gas & Electric

608.252.7081

jdrury@mge.com
WANT TO KNOW MORE?

Community Intro

Requirement Comments

Community overview

  • General community fit for industrial activity
  • Dane county population: 510,000 (2013), labor force: 307,000
  • Westport population: 4,000; Waunakee population:12,000, has doubled since 1990
  • Madison area ranks #1 Best Place to Live (Livability, 2015), Top 10 Most Innovative American Cities (Global Trade Magazine, 2014), #5 Citing Winning the Battle for Information Jobs (Forbes, 2014), #4 in the country for most federal research dollars ($1.3B)
  • Primary industries: health care, life sciences, IT, advanced manufacturing and food processing
  • 12 percent of GDP from manufacturing industry

Site environment overview

  • General surroundings fit for industrial activity
  • Ready-mix cement mixing plant next to site operates on an as-need basis ~2 days/week periodically; no major emissions/pollutants of concern
  • Manufacturers in the area include: Endres, NORD Drivesystems, Uniek and ETC
  • 150-employee Webcrafters facility across from site
  • Letters of support submitted from: Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, Town of Westport, MadREP, MGE, Wisconsin and Southern Railroad

Roadway access

  • Proximity to interstate and other highways
  • Access roads in place to site, or plans in place to extend access road(s) to site
  • 5 miles from I-94; 5.5 miles from I-90/39; 6.5 miles from state Highway 12
  • All roads used to access listed highways capable of cargo truck traffic
  • Access to site from W. River Rd. will require improvement. This road already provides access the ready-mix cement plant across the road from the site.
  • Site location facilitates ease of access from Waunakee, Middleton and Madison proper and is relatively convenient to access from the east, west and north suburbs.
  • Click here to download a highway and interstate infrastructure map

Rail access (if applicable) not required

  • Feasibility of service (if site is to be marketed as rail-served)
  • Rail runs along western boundary of site; owned by Wisconsin and Southern; three miles from switch yard in Madison
  • Property owner would own and maintain rail on property past the spur
  • Cost to build rail spur approximated at ~$340,000

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

  • Driving distance to proximate commercial airport(s) and overview of service available
  • Airport diagrams and maps to Dane County and one other local airport submitted
  • About 4 miles (5-minute drive) to Dane County airport
  • Commercial service available from Delta, United and American (limited)

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

  • Driving distance to proximate freight airport(s)
  • Description of the handling capacity of each proximate freight airport (e.g. current tonnage/year, runway length)
  • Airport diagrams and maps to Dane County Regional and Southern Wisconsin Regional airports submitted
  • About 4 miles (5-minute drive) to Dane County airport
  • Madison/Dane County Airport can handle most all cargo aircraft. FedEx operates a hub here.

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
  • 32.6 acres of contiguous buildable land centrally located over a 56.79 gross-acre site
  • 1.52-acre environmental corridor bisects western-most portion of the site
  • 11.75-acre environmental corridor encroaches upon large swath of southeastern portion of the site
  • Ongoing endangered resources review (as of June 2015) has the potential to identify a section of the eastern-northeastern corner of the site as a protected bird species habitat. If the ongoing study does determine that this is indeed a protected habitat, that would require a buffer area to be established around the habitat that would diminish the buildable acreage on the central section of the site to no less than 22.2 acres.

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

  • Aerial views illustrating site and surroundings submitted
  • Site is surrounded on west, north and east by agricultural land (small pet cemetery also north of the site).
  • Industrial uses south of the site include Webcrafters (large-scale printing operation), Redi-Mix Plant, and electric substation.

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

  • ALTA surveys of both eastern and western tracts of the total 56.79 gross acre site completed in March 2015
  • These surveys clearly depict all utility R-o-Ws, the 11.75-acre environmental corridor on the eastern-southeastern portion of the site, and the 1.52-acre environmental corridor bisecting the western-most portion of the site.
  • Click here to download more information from the ALTA Survey

Flood plain map (FEMA-produced FIRM map)

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

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

  • Certificate of title
  • Letter from property owner/option holder stating that site is for sale/lease
  • Certificate of title submitted; owned by North Mendota Energy and Technology Park
  • Site is being actively marketed to industrial prospective users.
  • Westport has a 25-year agreement with the Village of Waunakee that the site is fully located in Westport.

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

  • Documentation of asking price on a per-acre basis
  • Asking sale price: $196,000 per acre ($4.50 per sq ft)

Topography – no significant topography issues that could present major obstacles to industrial development 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
  • Maps of all utility infrastructure provided
  • Sanitary sewer line bisects the western and southern portions of the site – runs within the environmental corridor on the western portion and then cuts east-west across the southern-central portion of the site
  • 32.6-acre buildable acreage calculated is all north of the east-west segment of the sanitary sewer line; corresponding easement permits access drive to bisect this east-west segment of the sanitary sewer line, which is between 11’-15’ below ground surface as indicated in the “Information on Sanitary Line at North Mendota Energy and Technology Park” developed by Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District

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

  • Wetlands delineation report conducted on the site, demonstrating that impacts to protected waters will be avoided (or approved mitigation plans)
  • New delineation report completed in May 2015; across the 56.79 gross-acre site, there are 12.05 acres of delineated wetland on SE corner of the site and 0.59 acres of delineated wetland traversing north-south across the western quarter of site
  • Previous delineation completed in 2011; across the 56.79 gross-acre site, there were 11.75 acres of delineated wetland on SE corner of the site and 1.52 acres of delineated wetland traversing north-south across the western quarter of site
  • Click here to download the wetland report

Environmental assessment – no known environmental impediments to immediate industrial development

Geotechnical – minimum of five soil borings (for 20-acre site); no presence of sink holes or limestone caves; suitable water content/water table depth

  • Eighteen borings discovered clay through 7’ followed by sand with some boulders.
  • Water table varies from 3’ to 9.5’ and rose to 2’ in monitored boring wells. This may require pre-development dewatering and limits potential to infiltrate storm water.
  • Maximum bearing pressure is 3,000 psf
  • Click here to download the geotechnical report

Archaeological/historical – No known archaeological/historical impediments to immediate industrial development

Cultural resources review completed in April 2015 identified no cultural resources in the project area and references two detailed Phase I evaluations of the site area, which identified and thoroughly evaluated three recorded archaeological sites on the property.

  • These Phase I site surveys arrived at the determination that these were the only sites of potential cultural/historical significance and that they do not contribute to further understanding of the prehistory of the area and no further evaluation is recommended.
  • Click here to download the environmental resource review

Endangered species – no known impediments to immediate industrial development related to endangered species

  • Endangered resources review completed in April 2015 – identified a potentially suitable habitat for the Henslow’s Sparrow in the area located in the northeast corner of the property and extending down the eastern boundary to the wetland area
  • The report communicates requirements involving avoidance of disturbance to the relevant area from May through August or having a qualified biologist conduct surveys to determine if the Helsow’s Sparrow is present. Should the survey determine that the bird species is present, that would require a buffer area to be established around the habitat that would diminish the buildable acreage on the central section of the site to no less than 22.2 acres, which is still above the minimum requirement for the Wisconsin Certified Sites program.
  • Click here to download the environmental resource review

Fire Protection

  • Fire Insurance Classification Rating
  • Distance to the nearest servicing 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
  • Entire site zoned C2 Commercial, which includes industrial activities, except 1 acre eastern parcel that is zoned A3 agricultural, but is comprised mostly of wetlands
  • Deed restrictions and covenants submitted; limiting use to “clean” manufacturing and other commercial uses
  • Extra-territorial zoning designation through Village of Waunakee (instead of Dane County) allows for changes/permitting to be completed within three months instead of six
  • Click here to download more zoning information for this site
  • Click here to download the site zoning map

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
  • Madison Gas & Electric’s Huiskamp Substation sits directly across southwest site boundary (across the rail line). Husikamp Substation is served by three (ATC) transmission sources (two 69 kV and one 138 kV) that runs along the southern site border. This substation reportedly has sufficient capacity to provide 20 MW or more to a new user at the site.
  • MGE currently also has a 13.8 kV distribution line running along southern site boundary.
  • Click here to download the electric infrastructure map

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.)
  • ATC’s 138 kV transmission line at southern boundary of the site (feeding the Husikamp Substation) originates at the North Madison substation (20-25 miles to the north), which is fed by a 345 kV line from the Columbia coal-fired generation plant (~30 miles from the site)
  • MGE was ranked #1 in reliability among investor-owned power providers in the U.S. in 2013.

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
  • Dual feed service available at the site boundary

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

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
  • Due to relative proximity of the ANR pipeline, there is potential for large capacity to be available to the site, if needed.

Proximate water and wastewater infrastructure availability and capacities

  • Utility maps indicating location and current size/capacity of proximate mains, distribution lines, lift stations, etc.; available capacity that could be provided to the site for each of the above
  • Westport Water Utility has a 12-inch ductile iron water main running along the southern boundary of the site.  This main connects two well-houses, each with 700 GPM pumping capacity, as well as a 300k gallon water tower (0.25 miles from site).
  • Westport Sewer Utility’s Wastewater line bisects the western and southern portions of the site; lift station 1.5 miles away
  • Nine Springs treatment plant in south Madison reportedly has ample available capacity to facilitate significant growth of the system.

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

  • Cost, timing and funding responsibility of any improvements required to provide proposed services to the site
  • Service lines located on and adjacent to the site