Despite a spirited argument to the contrary by Dave Tollefson, the Robbins block appears targeted for a geothermal well field.

The Mower County Board of Commissioners voted 4-1 Tuesday to have KKE Architects Inc. design a geothermal well field in the Robbins block.

Tollefson, 5th District county commissioner, cast the only “nay” vote.

The geothermal well field will be used to heat the new Mower County Jail and Justice Center to be located across Second Avenue Northeast from the Robbins block.

Also Tuesday, the commissioners approved submitting an Environmental Assessment Worksheet to the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board concerning the Robbins Furniture and Design Gallery building complex.

The Robbins building has been acquired from owner Donna Robbins, who held a going-out-of-business sale Sunday.

The proposed jail and justice center may need only one of the two blocks being acquired for the project, plus one block of the to-be-vacated Third Avenue Northeast.

“It appears the Robbins block may be better suited for the geothermal well field,” said Ray Tucker, 2nd District commissioner. “I’m not saying we’re going to go there, but it may be the better of the two sites under consideration.”

According to county coordinator Craig Oscarson, conductivity tests at the Mill Pond/Horace Austin Park alternate site revealed that site did not compare to the Robbins block.

Still, Oscarson told the commissioners, the Mill Pond/Horace Austin Park site could work if chosen.

“Basically, it’s a coin flip,” he said.

A gazebo, sand volleyball pit and trees would have to be removed to accommodate the well field at the Mill Pond/Horace Austin Park location, according to Oscarson, who added that the city of Austin expressed a willingness to make the city-owned property available.

Once the Robbins building is gone and the county acquires all of the property it needs (Tom Sherman is the last hold-out of a northeast corner parcel), the county would only have to access the city’s Housing and Redevelopment Authority parking lot for the bore holes for a geothermal well field.

“I have something to say about this,” Tollefson told commissioners.

“There’s nothing wrong with the Mill Pond site,” he said. “I don’t understand why we don’t want to talk to someone who knows about geothermal and who’s from around here like Pat Harty.”

Tollefson was referring to the owner of Harty Mechanical Inc., 1600 First Ave. N.E., who is currently doing a geothermal project for the Rochester school district.

“I think we need to research this whole thing some more and get Pat Harty involved,” Tollefson said.

His proposal was met with immediate disdain from the other commissioners.

“We knew from the start this wasn’t going to be a simple process,” said Richard P. Cummings, 1st District county commissioner and chairman of the county board.

Dave Hillier, 3rd District county commissioner, asked what experience Hart has in geothermal work.

At the suggestion another delay could cost more money, Tollefson said, “The KKE architects already have $1.3 million set aside for geothermal.”

“The more delay the more we will only add to the costs of the whole project,” Cummings warned.

“This isn’t even part of the jail/justice center project,” Tollefson said. “It’s a whole separate project itself.”

Tucker said the KKE Architects, Inc. retained by the county would only be able to do a specific design for a “specific site.” The information would help the commissioners to decide whether to pursue geothermal heating or not.

The board voted to allow KKE Architects, Inc. to proceed with a geothermal well field design on the Robbins block property, with Tollefson voting against it.

Acquisition

Hillier, Tollefson and Oscarson have met with city officials and staff to learn about the city’s acquisition of properties in a two-block area where the new jail and justice center may be built.

Oscarson said the “footprint” of the jail and justice center has been “pushed south,” eliminating more of the off-street drop-off area to the facilities.

That, in turn, means the county will only need the Usem’s Inc. block (Second to Third Avenue Northeast bordered by First and Second Streets Northeast) and one block of to-be-vacated-Third Avenue Northeast for the new facilities estimated to cost $36 million.

That would leave the second block (Third Avenue to Fourth Avenue Northeast bordered by First and Second Streets Northeast) for future jail and justice center expansion needs.

According to Oscarson, the city expects to acquire the Steve’s Pizza property in January 2009. Efforts continue to acquire the Anytime Fitness Center property at condemnation proceedings, while a title search continues for the owners of the Palacio Del Cumbia and apartment complex property.

Oscarson said city officials and staff say demolition work can proceed around the hold-out properties.

However, soil corrections will be needed this winter to prepare for construction of the new facilities.

“This is turning out to be much more complex than anyone every thought it would be originally,” Hillier observed.

Submit EAW

Lastly, Angie Knish, county environmental services director, told the commissioners the EAW is ready for submission.

The county’s research found the decision to acquire the property for demolition should not be negated because of citizens’ concerns.

The three-story, 27,000 square-foot. Robbins Furniture and Design Gallery is Austin’s largest retail property.

The block was once home to the Austin Hotel, Alcove Restaurant and piano bar, Austin Elks Club (before it became The Tower teen club) and still is home to George’s Pizza and Thoroughbred Carpet.

Except for the furniture store, carpet business and pizza restaurant, the others all vacated the building more than 35 years ago, according to Knish’s research.

Further back in Austin history, Chauncey Leverich, a bar owner, died at a drinking establishment in 1859.

Leverich is the man credited with making the original plat for the city of Austin in 1856.

The commissioners unanimously approved submitted the EAW to the state Environmental Quality Board immediately.

Still to come is a public comment period before the EQB makes a decision.

Noting the EAW’s 31 questions appeared, in his opinion, to be “non-issues,” commissioner Hillier closed the discussion, saying, “I think this is an exercise in futility.”