Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-180MAY 12, 2009 09 -180 RESOLUTION (CARRIED LOST LAID OVER WITHDRAWN ) TABLE UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE (6 -0) PURPOSE: ACCEPT GIFT OF SOO LINE RAILROAD ENGINE INITIATED BY: MAYOR ESSLINGER WHEREAS, the Soo Line Railroad formerly traversed the City of Oshkosh; and WHEREAS, the National Railroad Museum located in Green Bay, Wisconsin has generously offered to donate a Soo Line engine for display in the City of Oshkosh; and WHEREAS, a private donor has offered to pay for a portion of the costs and any remaining funds would be raised as necessary for reconditioning, delivery and placement of the engine so there would be no cost to the City of Oshkosh. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Common Council of the City of Oshkosh that the City of Oshkosh hereby accepts the donation of a Soo Line Railroad Engine from the National Railroad Museum with the condition that all funds necessary for the reconditioning, delivery and placement be raised from private donations and that a permanent location for display of the Engine is established. May 6 2009 Dear Council members: In the absence of a gift policy, I'm initiating a resolution that asks for your support regarding a project that will bring back a piece of history to Oshkosh. As you may remember, the Soo Line Railroad used to come through the City of Oshkosh years ago. Some time ago, this service was terminated and the railroad right of way was abandoned. I thought it would be a great idea to find a Soo Line engine that used to come through the city and have it re- furbished and put on display somewhere in the city. I've found an engine that the City could receive at no charge. The Green Bay Railroad Museum has a Soo Line engine that did come through the city; it is engine #715. According to internet research, this engine was built in 1963. Wisconsin Central purchased the Soo Line Railroad years ago and when they did, this engine and many other Soo Line engines were painted with Wisconsin Central colors and logos. This particular engine was retired and donated to the Green Bay Railroad Museum some years ago. The Green Bay Railroad Museum has agreed to donate this engine to the City of Oshkosh. I've been in contact with a private donor who, barring any major unforeseen issues, is willing to pay for the engine to be re- painted, shipped to Oshkosh, placed on a yet to be determined site and have a shelter built to protect it. In the event there are any substantial costs over and above what the private donor would want to pay for, there could either be a fundraising effort to pay for the remainder of the expenses, or the project would not proceed. In any event, there would be no cost to the City for this venture. The final location of the engine has not been determined. In speaking with Jackson Kinney, it was thought that a good site would be where Michigan St. meets the Fox River. This site is scheduled to be a park in the future. This is also where the Soo Line used, to travel through the City. Once a final location has been established, it would go through the Plan Commission, the Parks Advisory Committee and ultimately the Council for final approval. In closing, I think this would be a nice community display and could be an attraction for everyone to enjoy for years to come. I hope you'll join me in supporting this project. Sincerely, Paul Esslinger Mayor The City/RDA acquired the current Sanitation Garage property in 2007. At the time of the acquisition it was the City's intent to utilize the existing building for the Sanitation Garage until such time as a new facility could be developed in the area of the Central Garage. If the City accepts the gift of the train engine, the proposed park area would appear a logical area for its placement. It's already been noted the area has historic ties to the Soo Line Railroad, with the area being traversed by the former Soo Line mainline, as well as its proximity to the site of the former Soo Line bridge which crossed the Fox. River. Also, the general area north of W. 4th Avenue and east of Ohio Street had at one time been the site of a railroad switching yard and roundhouse — thus there are linkages to the historic use of the area for rail services. If the City accepts the gift of the train engine, or wishes to consider the acceptance of the gift, a next logical step would be to have the City retain the services of a consultant (possibly JJR, who prepared the preliminary park concept included in the Fox River Corridor Riverwalk Plan), so a detailed design plan could be prepared for the park/boat launching facility, in order to determine how the train engine could be integrated into the park area. 2 City of Oshkosh - Department of Community Development ( 0 Of H KOIH ON THE WATER 215 Church Avenue Oshkosh, WI 54901 (920) 236 -5055 MEMORANDUM TO: Mark Rohloff, City Manager FROM: Jackson Kinney Director of Community Development DATE: May 6, 2009 RE: Proposed Gift of Soo Line Train Engine Background (920) 236 -5053 fax Council will have a Resolution before it Tuesday evening relative to accepting a gift of an old Soo Line Railroad train engine from the National Railroad Museum in Ashwaubenon. Analysis If Council approves the acceptance of the gift, or wishes to consider the acceptance of the gift, it would seem appropriate to have the train engine located/displayed in a public park. In its initial review of the proposal, the Department believes a potential location would be in the park/boat launching facility area identified and proposed in the adopted Fox River Corridor Riverwalk Plan for the area where Michigan Street and the current City Sanitation Garage property is situated north of W. 4th Avenue on the south side of the Fox River immediately east of the former Boat Works. This area was at one time the location of the old Soo Line Railroad mainline that came through the City and the location is adjacent to where the old Soo Line Railroad bridge was located (where the southern portion of the bridge was converted to a fishing pier). The location is also adjacent to William Steiger Park (which is an open space area adjacent to the Fox River). The proposed park would include a public boat launching facility adjacent to the fishing pier, a parking area for boaters and those accessing the park by vehicle. It's envisioned the park would include open space, public restrooms and a fish cleaning station.