A Solution at Mammoth Springs?

A Brookfield entrepreneur may have a solution to the Bugline Trail, which has bugged developers for decades.

In an exclusive interview with the Sussex Sun, Mammoth Springs property owner, Arthur Sawall, proposed a re-routed path for the Bugline Trail allowing construction to move forward on the 10-acre plot on the corner of Main Street and Waukesha Avenue. Currently, the Bugline cuts directly through the property, and that swath of land was purchased with federal and state dollars for recreational purposes.

If the land for the trail is transferred onto the new path, the federal and state officials would need reimbursements equal to the cost, size, and recreational opportunity afforded on the current path. It's thrown a wrench in Sawall's ability to move forward with the development.

Sawall purchased the property in January 2010. Sawall envisioned five buildings, either three or four stories high, comprised of roughly 135 units of "high-end housing." They would have underground parking. He also planns two retail and commercial-use buildings of either one or two stories each with easy-access surface parking filled with retail, offices and a coffee shop or restaurant.

However, relocating the Bugline is essential for Sawall to move forward with his plans. According to the Sussex Sun, village and county officials could meet with Sawall in the next few weeks to discuss his proposal. However, to this point, the governmental entities have moved at a snail’s pace.

In Sept. 2011, Sawall said he was hoping to have a solution to the Bugline within two weeks.