Franklin officials:
New sewer key to Mayor says laek
development plans of sewers foiled
City seeks low-interest loan from feds
to pay for construction of the project
MARIE ROHDE
mixed-use project
marie. rohde@dailyreporter.com
Sewer, FROM PAGE 1A
Eager to jump-start development, city of Franklin officials have included, according to Taylor and Bill
applied for a $31 million federal loan to pay for construction of a Graffin, an MMSD spokesman.
large sewer that they plan to sell to the Milwaukee Metropolitan Franklin is proceeding with the
Sewerage District. project in order to get it done quicker,
Mayor Tom Taylor said the sewer is critical to southwestern Taylor said.
Franklin, where he wants to add $1 billion in development by "We have been literally begging
2025.
MMSD to build this project for years,"
"The future of the city is dependent on that development," Taylor Taylor said. "We got them to put it into
said. "It won't happen without sewers. If this opportunity is missed, their 2020 plan but being in a plan
it is conceivable that it would take 15 to 30 years before that doesn't mean it will get built."
development could occur." Graffin said the project probably
If Franklin builds the sewer, MMSD officials said they believe would not have been built by the
this will be the fIrst construction of such a sewer by a community district until 2018 or 2019. It was also
rather than by the sewerage district. in the district's 2010 plan but removed.
The city would sell the sewer to the district after the 20-year loan "The population and development in
is repaid and recoup the full cost - $41 million, when fInancing is the area did not justify going ahead
PLEASE SEE Sewer, PAGE 4A with it earlier," Graffin said.
The Ryan Creek Interceptor Sewer
would run from South 112th Street to
South 60th Street along Ryan Road
and Ryan Creek. At 60th Street, the
sewer would connect to an existing
sewer.
The plan for the new sewer is far
from being a done deal but it crossed a
major hurdle this week when an
MMSD committee unanimously
approved an amendment to the
district's 2010 capital budget that will
allow the district to hire a· project
manager for the sewer at a cost of
$1,428,405. The budget amendment
requires full commission approval. A
vote is scheduled for Sept. 27.
Jesse Wesolowski, Franklin's city
attorney, said the city has applied for a
low-interest federal loan under the
Clean Water Act. Although the loan
has not been approved, city officials
were confIdent enough that they have
hired Ruekert & Mielke Inc.,
Waukesha, for $4 million to do the
initial engineering plan.
Bids for the project could be let as
soon as late 2011.
The sewer would serve part of
Muskego and a small section of New
Berlin. MMSD requires that large
sewers such as this one serve more
than one community.
Taylor said he has been pressing for
the project since his mayoral election
in 2006.
Franklin has been one of the fastest
growing communities in Wisconsin. In
1950, it had a population of 3,886; by
2000 it had grown to 29,494. The
Southeast Wisconsin Regional Plan
Commission estimates the city will
have 50,800 residents by 2035.
That won't happen without access to
sewers, said Taylor, who noted that
about a quarter of the city is
undeveloped.
"The number one goal of the city is
to achieve a 70-30 percent ratio of
residential to commercial develop-
ment," Taylor said. "In 2006, it was 84-
16 percent."
Taylor said an Atlanta developer
expressed interest ina commercial
mixed-use project at 76th Street and
Ryan Road but the deal fell through
because sewers were not available.
"The developer was willing to build
their part of the sewer," Taylor said. "It
didn't go anywhere because we didn't
have the interceptor."