February 25, 2008

Planning Commission Minutes

The meeting was called to order at 5:30 p.m.

Present:  Randy Leiker, Andy Peters, Ken Zilisch, Shirley Solem, Jim Ecker, Jim Cotter and Greg Kippenhan.

Has the agenda been properly posted?  Yes

Approve the January meeting minutes.
Jim Cotter made a motion to approve the January meeting minutes.   Jim Ecker seconded the motion and it was carried.

Public hearing –  Patric Stahl – Special Use Permit to operate a small steel rule die shop at W7547 Wisconsin Avenue -  
The hearing was called to order at 5:43 p.m.

Pat Stahl stated the shop is similar to a regular pattern shop.  He builds patterns with a jig saw, router and table saw.  They will
rehab an existing building that is already on the property.  He will possibly have one helper.  The grain shed closest to the road is the one being refurbished.  There will be no signage.  Everything made is delivered.  No customers come out to the shop.  The helper would be delivering the product.  Materials are delivered in his own pickup truck. The entire barn area will be fixed up for a rustic feel.

No one spoke for or against.

Andy Peters made a motion to close the public hearing.  Greg Kippenhan seconded the motion and it was carried and closed at 5:35 p.m.

Jim Ecker questioned Mr. Stahl if he would he have a problem limiting it to two employees.  Patric stated that was ok.  The hours of operation would not be out of the window given. 

Jim Ecker made a motion to approve the special use conditioned that the business stays within the information on application.  It should be reviewed every two years and also conditioned on State or local building approval.  Jim Cotter seconded the motion.  Patric stated he talked to the State Inspector as stated on the staff review.  The building is small enough that it does not fall under the State rules.  He was told to talk to the Town Building Inspector.  The motion was carried.

The hearing was called to order at 5:37 p.m.

Bob Reider is representing Steve Winter on the project. They have a buyer for unit 4.  Bob stated they adjusted the plan based on staff review keeping unit 1 20’ from the road.

Dave Tebo stated a few years ago the Commission approved a PUD.  Everything was looked at previously.   This request is just a change in the legal arrangement.  Rich Carlson reviewed everything they sent and he has approved.    Initially, we said we wanted all the buildings to come back for site plan.  That does not make sense individually.  It is overkill.  Once the plat is established it would be ok as long as setbacks are ok.  They would have to bring a landscaping plan in for each site.  Mr. Tebo stated they still have to go through erosion control etc., but not have to come to Planning Commission with every building.   Mike Siewert stated all the stormwater is addressed regionally. 

No one spoke for or against.  Ken Zilisch made a motion to close the public hearing. Shirley Solem seconded the motion and it was carried and closed at 5:45 p.m.

Jim Cotter questioned if this will this come under the gateway ordinance.  Dave Tebo said it will depending on how far back we go with the gateway. 

Jim Ecker made a motion to approve with the conditions in staff review.  Andy Peters seconded the motion and it was carried.

Site plan – YMCA – W6931 School Road for a building addition.
Mark Boehlke from Hoffman is working with the YMCA on the addition.  They are proposing a new pool, locker rooms and a new fitness room.  They are adding what was proposed in 2002.  There are 84 existing parking stalls.  They are proposing to add about 110 stalls with a service drive and an emergency drive in the back.  Mark stated they had a public participation meeting last week.  One neighbor showed up and just asked questions.  Mark received one other phone call and email but he did not hear back from them.

The stormwater management is coming off of the parking to east.  There is a low area.  Water will continue to go there with a small bio-filtration area.  Omnni reviewed the plans.  Bob Givens stated there were just a couple of issues.  Dave Tebo stated a landscape plan was submitted in 2002 with the original plan.  This original plan will be used for this project.  Dave Tebo stated they need to bring the parking up to code with the size of the stalls.  Landscaping that was not done previously needs to be done now.  Island landscaping is shown on the plan but was never put in.  The computation of the parking does not fit any of our formulas.  Dave asked Mark Boehlke to come up with a formula.  They will have closed to 200 stalls.  There should be a future set-aside in case they need more parking down the road.   Mark agreed they would show an area.  Mark thinks it is a good idea that it could be implemented in the future. 

If the lot was not already merged, it needs to be done.  The existing stalls are 9’.  They will be changed to 10’.    One plan showed a gravel trail will be removed.  Mark stated there is a low spot there and water backs up.  They are trying to remedy the situation.  It will be raised up a bit.   Mike Siewert reviewed the stormwater.  There are a lot of minor things but nothing major.  Mike needs to talk to them about bio-retention.  Mike feels they can do it.  When the detention pond fills with water completely it will drain onto Town property but it is a pre-existing thing and can be lived with.  When we bought land for the trail, we got part of the pond.  Mike Siewert stated there is not enough there to hold things up so he recommends conditional approval.

Greg Kippenhan made a motion to approve with comments on the site.  Andy Peters seconded the motion and it was carried.

General comment:  Dave Tebo stated we may want to think about reducing the size of parking stalls to 9’.

Site plan – Faith Community United Methodist Church – N1966 Julius Drive.
Eric Draskowski  did the site plan and layout for the church.  It is on a 6 acre parcel.  They are looking to add 7,000 sq. ft. for a Sunday school addition.   There will be about 11,000 sq. ft. of paving for parking.  There will be room for fire truck turning.    For the parking, Eric used calculations for a school.    The fenced in play area will be relocated to the west side of building and be the same size.  The drainage plan addition allows for a catch basin going to an increased swale.  They will be making the area bigger for the drainage.  The existing house will remain.    Landscaping will keep existing trees on north side of property.  They are adding things on east side and providing screening for the transformer.  They are trying to keep as much existing as possible.

Bob Givens stated they responded to all the comments and he will be providing an amount for a financial guarantee.  The pond is coming out an additional 15 feet.  Dave Tebo stated they are merging two lots so there is no lot line issue. 

Shirley Solem made a motion to approve the site plan.  Jim Ecker second the motion and it was carried.

Review Gateway Overlay Ordinance.

Marks version                       Rich’s version

Definition broad                     detention narrow

Ag permitted                                                   ok                                                                   

Current ordinance                   current ordinance

Island parking reg.                   Current ordinance

New signs ground signs no wall signs            current

More landscaping but not defined      current ordinance except       one area along highway

Restrictive for construction material.              Not as restricted

Include non-conforming use                           needs to be fit in with current ordinance

Hwy CB applies to the new section and not the old section.  Randy Leiker feels it does not need to apply to GV.   Randy stated he is looking at 15, 96 and 76 and the new section of CB.  We already have an existing look of the old CB.  This will not accomplish what we want.  Jim Cotter questioned what happens down the line when some of those older buildings along CB are removed or remodeled down the road.  Randy feels we still cannot apply the ordinance.  The road is on the inside.  Utilities are all in place.  Jim Cotter stated we still have the east side.  Randy stated without both sides we will not create the impact we want.  Andy agrees with Randy.  Jim Ecker stated GV is a highly traveled road.  In his mind it qualifies as one we should approve.  Randy stated that Highway 15 is only a block away.  HIghway15 is more of a thoroughfare.  GV is more of a local road.  Jim Ecker views GV as a thoroughfare road.  Dave Tebo stated the County may relocate GV.  We don’t know that yet but we have been approached by the County.  

Dave Schlimm stated the County was supposed to have money in the budget for the relocation study.    Why put it on Highway 15?  You don’t know where 15 will be relocated to.  Trees could be lost.   Randy stated that for up to Julius Drive, we are waiting for a reply from the DOT for how much right-of-way they will need. The Dot will get back to us.  Schlimm questioned if this is for all types of development?   Dave Tebo stated it is an overlay district for the district it is in.  There is an exception for an agricultural building.  Schlimm stated there is a tree every 30 feet.  Do you want to go out and trim your trees?  They act as a snow fence.    Trees are more of a hazard than anything else.  When the road is widened the trees come down. 

Dave Tebo stated one key discussion is what are you going to apply it to?  The island parking is not that much different.  The landscaping is not that much different.  The construction material is similar.  The biggest difference is the sign one.  Mark’s has some good ideas.  There is not a huge difference between the two.  Randy started going over items with the Commission.  Ag permitted should stay in.  We do not need to create anything new for parking and landscaping.  We can use our existing ordinance for those.  At least we are consistent.  It depends on how far you want to go.  Jim Cotter stated we need to think about are we doing this for tomorrow or for the future.   Dean Culbertson questioned if this applies to commercial or residential.  It is not clear.  Dave Tebo stated it mostly applies to commercial and industrial.  Mark Strobel stated if the use is residential, this does not apply.   Andy stated it is not real clear.  Mark suggested that it should possibly be reworded.  Jim Ecker thinks it is real clear.  Dean it should be clarified so if someone looks at it in a year from now will they understand it. Randy - definition – what do we want this to include?    Randy feels we should not include GV and State 76 except the area covered by the other ordinance.  Jim Cotter stated if they move GV to the south, then what do we do.  Randy does not look at GV as a local traveled road.  It would make more sense if Grand Chute did it with us but we only go to Mayflower.  Tom Becher likes what Jim Ecker is thinking.  If traffic lights go up, that road may be used more than we think.  Randy questioned, do we have a consensus one way or the other?  He asked for a show of hands to include GV.   Two members indicated to include it and five not to include it.

Ag permitted.   Randy agrees.  Shirley agrees.  No one disagrees.  Do we want to add specific uses and structures?  The language in there is fine.  Excluding housing?  Jim Ecker stated we should put the verbiage in there.  It will not hurt.  Island parking or not, or current ordinance?  Shirley prefers the current.  Mark’s does not address inside the lot.  An island breaks up the large expanse of blacktop.  It is more specific.  Mark stated a tree will not grow in a 10’ strip.  It will in a 20’ strip.  Mark does not want a lot of little islands. It is hard for snow plowing.  Mark stated the trend is to try to get away from little islands. It is a nightmare to plow around rather than a large one at the end.   Randy stated maybe we could say that if a parking lot exceeds a certain square footage, they can do this or that.  We could amend our ordinance now instead.  Jim Ecker agrees.   Mark’s is a good idea, but wrap them into the parking ordinance so we do not have two different rules.  Dave Tebo stated that brings up an issue for the rest of the ordinance.  Do we change our ordinance and be consistent with things such as accessory structures, outdoor storage etc.?  Maybe we should look at it and make it one instead of two.    

Jim Cotter made a motion to table this and look at making it a planning project.   Shirley Solem seconded the motion and it was carried.

Ken Zilisch made a motion to adjourn the Planning Commission meeting.  Shirley Solem seconded the motion and it was carried and adjourned at 6:45 p.m.

Deborah Wagner,
Town Cler