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Panel expected to OK study of county's options for fairgrounds expansion

JANESVILLE — The Rock County Agriculture and Extension Education Committee on Wednesday is expected to authorize the county’s planning department to come up with options for a future fairgrounds expansion, committee Chairman Neil Deupree said.

Deupree will call a special committee meeting at the end of March to review the options, he said. At the meeting, he expects planning staff to present locations and schematic drawings of options for a new fairgrounds.

The ag committee in February wrote a resolution to set aside 100 acres of the former Rock County Farm for a fairgrounds expansion. The resolution named the property at the northeast corner of the intersection of highways 14 and 51.

But the resolution was too specific for some members of the staff committee, who were next in line to discuss the resolution on its way to the county board for final approval. The staff committee tabled the resolution and asked the ag committee to reconsider.

Planning staff will consider the size location and of the site and the design of the grounds, said Scott Heinig, planning director.

In 2004, the county board passed a resolution to set aside 100 acres of “any” county-owned land for a fairgrounds expansion.

The Rock County 4-H Fairgrounds is located on 18.5 acres in Janesville on Craig Avenue.