September 2020

TOWN OF MIDDLETON–The landowner seeking to have a cross-country skiing training facility built on his property asked the Town Board Monday not to be dragged into its boundary negotiations with the City of Middleton.

Since 2017, Dan Erdman of Erdman Enterprises, has planned to donate eight acres he owns just north of Pleasant View Golf Course on which Yuri Gusev, director of the Central Cross Country Skiing Association, will build a multi-million dollar training facility for Olympic skiers. 

Erdman would grant a recreational easement to the city across the remainder of the 160 acres he owns to be used for ski and non-motorized trails.

Erdman’s land is in the Town of Middleton but he wants the eight acres to be annexed into the City of Middleton and the rest to remain in the town.

Against my better judgement I flew to Denver from Madison last week. Normally I would not have considered taking flight during a global pandemic, but duty called and I had to head to Colorado to help my husband get our house ready to rent. 

We had initially planned to Air BnB the property because it sits near the Royal Gorge, which is a tourist spot near Cañon City. We had just finished getting it ready back in March, and I flew out on March 11 and came back on March 18. I wrote about that experience in a previous column, and how on my return flight (after the lockdown began) Denver International Airport (DIA) was deserted. At that time I was one of just two passengers wearing a mask. 

TOWN OF MIDDLETON–The Middleton Town Board took another step last week in seeking a mediated boundary plan with the City of Middleton.

In June, the board passed a resolution informing the state Department of Administration (DOA) that it wanted to work with the city on a cooperative boundary plan. That gave the city 60 days to pass a similar resolution but the time period lapsed last month without the city acting on it.

On Sept. 8, the board passed a resolution asking the DOA to mediate a cooperative plan with the city.

The DOA will contact the two municipalities to see if they will begin mediation of a boundary plan, but neither party is obligated to join, attorney Michael Lawton told the board.

If the city doesn’t participate, the town can delay any annexations for up to 270 days, Lawton said.

“There’s some incentive for them to participate in mediation but we’ll see,” he said.

MIDDLETON–The City of Middleton Plan Commission granted concept approval for a proposed mixed-use office and retail building on Airport Road west of the HWY 12. The plan commission also approved a few minor changes to building plans currently planned or under construction and reviewed the city’s involvement in the Capital Area Regional Plan Commission’s Development Framework for the Capital Region at its Sept. 8 meeting.

The Auto Vault project proposed by Jeff Parisi of Parisi Construction at 7913 Airport Rd. ties into the existing area intended for office, light retail and car storage. The developer indicated they are seeking a tenant for automotive use.