Public Hearing for Town's Incorporaton Set for May 15

Responding to a petition from the Town of Brookfield to incorporate as a village, the state Incorporation Review Board scheduled a public hearing for May 15 at , with a final decision deadline of Sept. 22, the Journal Sentinel reported Monday.

The town paid $25,000 to file it request last month with the state Department of Administration, along with a that outlines the rationale for incorporating.

The main reasons for seeking to become a village include protecting the town from annexation by neighboring cities, and preserving its future autonomous government and tax base. The Corners redevelopment proposal, to be anchored by a Von Maur department store, helped prompt the request because the town wants to have that tax base to finance public improvements.

In order to incorporate, because it no longer has the minimum required 4 square miles of territory to become a village or city.

The petition proposes including about 288 acres of continguous land in the Town of Waukesha, south of Greenfield Avenue, west of Springdale Road and east of Highway 164. The lands represent about $35 million in tax base, and includes the former Walmart store and Don Jacobs car dealership, Town of Brookfield attorney James Hammes has said.

To follow the public hearing, the review board has tentatively scheduled a meeting to discuss the testimony for June 26, and a meeting to make a recommendation on the petition for Sept. 6, with a final decision due Sept. 22, according to the Journal Sentinel.

The state denied two previous incorporation requests filed by the town, in 1999 and 2001. If the state did approve the incorporation, voters would decide in a referendum whether to change to village status.

The public hearing will be from 1 to 7 p.m. May 15 at , 645 N. Janacek Road.