Project in East Gateway
By Angie Landsverk
A 48-unit apartment complex is being proposed on a 9.64-acre parcel in Waupaca’s East Gateway.
Four 12-unit buildings are planned at the northwest corner of Commercial Drive and Webster Way, near the State Highway 22/54 bypass.
“They will all be two-bedroom, two-bath units,” Sarah Hillenbrand told the city’s Plan Commission during its Wednesday, May 9 meeting.
She is the vice president of PRE/3, of Brookfield.
PRE/3 develops and manages multi-family properties in Wisconsin and a number of other states.
Each unit in this complex would also have an attached garage and laundry.
There would be on-site management as well.
“We are the owner and will continue to be the owner/manager,” Hillenbrand said.
Mayor Brian Smith asked how they decided there was a need for such a complex here.
Hillenbrand said they look at the age of a community’s housing stock, its rentals and the age of those living in the community.
The mayor noted the subdivision he lives in is near Golf View Estates, another project done by this developer.
Smith said it is a nice project and there have been no problems there.
The city is working on a proposed Developer’s Agreement for the proposed East Gateway project, which would be in Tax Increment District No. 8.
The developers look to begin working on the site July 1, with full occupancy of the units by Nov. 1, 2019.
Brennan Kane, Waupaca’s director of community and economic development, is excited about the project.
He describes the apartments as having a “condo” style due to the attached garages and said all the units would be rented at market rate.
Hillenbrand said they would be affordable.
“We expect them to start coming online next spring,” she said.
Waupaca’s Eco Park is north of this site, and the East Gateway Subdivision is east of the park.
The site plan review and request to rezone the property were both before the Plan Commission on May 9.
The commission tabled the site plan review until its June 13 meeting at the request of the developers, who want additional time to address some of the staff recommendations.
The property’s current zoning is I-1 Light Industrial District, and the request is to change the zoning to R-3 Multiple-Family Residence District.
This requires an ordinance change, with two readings needed.
The Plan Commission recommended adoption of the ordinance.
That recommendation was thus scheduled to go before the common council for its first reading on Tuesday, May 15.
The second reading is set for Tuesday, June 5.
Construction of a regional detention basin is being planned for this area.
Last month, the common council approved a contract with Strand Associates, Inc. for the design and construction administration of it at a cost not to exceed $45,000.
TID No. 8 funds will be used.
The pond will be built primarily on the city’s Eco Park and will service future development projects as well.
The city identified the potential drainage basin area of about 122 acres that could be serviced by it.
That is why the city recommended a regional detention basin be constructed, rather than multiple wet detention ponds for various development projects.
It expects it will cost between $100,000 and $120,000 to construct the regional pond.
The city will design it and seek the construction bids and then special assess those costs back to property owners served by it.
Kane said the purpose of the regional detention basin is for it to be an asset.
John Kneer is a landscape architect and member of the Plan Commission.
He likes the layout of the proposed apartment complex and urged the developers to pay attention to detail when selecting trees and plantings to incorporate in it.
“I think this could stand out in the community,” Kneer said. “It has the potential to look really nice.”