Janesville Board of Review Hearing and Decision on Amrock Land Assessment – June 4, 2026
Janesville Citizens Board of Review Meeting – June 4, 2026
The Citizens Board of Review met on Thursday, June 4, 2026, at 5:00 PM in City Hall Council Chambers. The board approved the minutes from the June 2, 2026 meeting and conducted a hearing on a real property assessment objection for Amrock Land LLC. After testimony and deliberation, the board voted unanimously to adjust the assessed value.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes: The board approved the minutes of the June 2, 2026 meeting by a 4-0 vote.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments from non-participants. The hearing consisted solely of testimony from property owner Douglas Scott (representing Amrock Land LLC) and City Assessor Michelle Lobby.
Discussion Items
- Hearing of Objection for Amrock Land LLC (Parcel 241 0205300060): The subject property is a 1.15-acre vacant lot zoned O-1 (Office) at 5451 N Wright Road, Janesville. The owner acquired it in 2020 for $45,000 as agricultural land. After annexation and rezoning, the city assessed it at $402,300 as commercial land for 2026. The owner argued the value should be lower, citing the property's irregular shape, lack of water/sewer laterals, and his listing price of $99,500 (with an additional $20,000 cost for infrastructure). He presented MLS data on other lots but had no offers. The assessor explained the mass appraisal methodology and conceded that the property was incorrectly placed in neighborhood 41; she recommended moving it to neighborhood 45, reducing the base land rate from $10/sq ft to $6/sq ft, and applying discounts for size/shape (20%), missing infrastructure (30%), and access limitations (10%), yielding a revised value of $152,100. The assessor also noted the O-1 zoning allows for higher-density residential or office use.
Key Outcomes
- The board determined that the assessor's revised valuation of $152,100 was reasonable and uniform with other commercial properties. The board voted unanimously (4-0) to set the assessed value at $152,100, replacing the original $402,300.
- The board adjourned sine die after completing all business.
Meeting Transcript
Thank you. Call to order and roll call. The following board members are present. Ed Chady, Owen Landers, Tom Lapinski, and Phil Yoss. First item of business is to consider approval of the minutes of the June 2nd, 2026 meeting. Those minutes are in our larger packet. Mr. Chair, I move that the minutes be approved as distributed. Is there a second? I second. Bill seconds. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Any opposed. That passes 40. Next, we will call our first hearing of the evening. The hearing involves the appeal of Amrock Land LLC located at 5451 Northright Road. Parcel 24102053060. The procedure we will follow in this hearing will be substantially as follows. First, we will read pertinent portions of your objection form, and then you and the representative from the assessor's office will be sworn in by the board clerk. You will testify or make a statement as to the reason for your objection and provide any re any evidence to support your objection. Members of the board of review and the assessor may then ask you questions. The assessor will then testify as to the basis for their assessment. The board of review members may ask the assessor questions, and then you may ask the assessor any questions you wish. The hearing will then be closed, and the board of review will deliberate an open session. You will receive a written notice via certified mail from the city as to the decision made by the citizens board of review. You are reminded the assessment can be changed by the board of review only based on sworn oral testimony presented at this meeting and only in increments of 100 for real estate property. The value for this property is placed on the assessment roll by the city assessor, is presumed correct unless rebutted by sufficient evidence provided by the property owner showing that value to be incorrect. Do you have any questions? Probably have a few properties that we will go along, but fair enough. Sure. And Mr. Scott, would you go ahead and take your place at the table there? And then um just so that we get the record nice and clear, make sure and speak into the microphone. This case is the objection hearing of Amrock Land LLC. The property owner objector resides at 2017 North Harmony Town Hall Road, Janesville, Wisconsin, 53546. The address for the property in question is 5451 Northright Road, Janesville, Wisconsin, 53546. And the tax key parcel for the property is 2410205-300060. The property is classified for assessment as vacant land commercial. The value in the assessment roll for the current year uh is land only for of four hundred and two thousand three hundred dollars. So would anyone planning on giving any testimony in this hearing please rise and raise your right hand? Do you solemnly swear that the testimony which you shall give on the matter now in the hearing will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. So help you God. I do. I do. And will each of you now state your name and title for the record. Douglas Scott. Are you the property owner? Yes.
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