The city of Waukesha is nearing the settlement of a lawsuit over a proposed redevelopment of the former Weissgerber’s Gasthaus site after the Common Council approved the deal in principle this week and gave the city attorney the power to finalize details of the agreement.
The agreement would require the developer, CFT NV Developments, to pay $250,000 towards future traffic control improvements on Grandview Boulevard and Silvernail Road and contribute up to $50,000 to improve access to businesses located on the north side of Silvernail, directly across from the planned development.
“The attempt is to lessen the negative impact,” Brian Running, Waukesha city attorney, told the council this week. “This is money, by the way, the developer really did not have to put up.”
In exchange, the city will set a clear timetable for the issuance of various permits for work to begin on the project.
Plans for the redevelopment of the Gasthaus site at the corner of Grandview and Silvernail were first brought forward in 2016. They called for a 9,800-square-foot, multi-tenant retail and restaurant building along Grandview and a standalone Panda Express restaurant building.
The city plan commission denied the plans after concerns emerged about increased traffic. CFT then sued the city, alleging its property had essentially been condemned.
Revised plans were brought back last year and approved with conditions. Running said the parties have been steadily working through issues. A certified survey map has been approved to move the project forward, a conditional use permit is ready to be issued and a storm water management plan is nearly complete, he said.
“The developer and their attorneys have been extremely cooperative over the last couple years,” Running said.
Still, some aldermen expressed concern about the potential impact on area businesses. The plans call for closing off a turn lane on eastbound Silvernail that provides access to Dave’s Mobil, a Valvoline oil change and the Spring City Restaurant. A new turn lane is being added to allow traffic to turn into the new development from the west.
Running told the council part of the challenge will be getting the private businesses on the north side of the road to agree on a solution.
