After months of discussion and research, the Village of Germantown has opted not to implement a policy that would cap multifamily housing development.
The idea was first considered earlier this year following concerns from some residents and officials about a growing number of multifamily proposals, a trend seen across many Milwaukee suburbs. With a new village president taking office in spring, officials began exploring whether limits on multifamily housing were necessary.
Following several public meetings and a review of housing data, village leaders concluded that Germantown’s existing approval process for new development is sufficient.
Currently, Germantown’s housing stock is about 73% single family homes, 25% multifamily and 2% mobile homes; 76% of the village’s residents live in an owner-occupied unit and 24% of its population rents, according to data village staff presented at the meeting. Those ratios put Germantown at around the same ratios as Franklin, Menomonee Falls and New Berlin.
Recent proposals in Germantown include a "high-density," town center-style development, a 42-unit duplex and triplex project currently under review and a proposed golf course redevelopment with more than 350 housing units, all of which have faced some opposition from residents.
Although the village will not adopt a formal cap, staff will now include data in development reports showing how proposed projects would impact the single-family vs. multifamily ratio, as well as potential effects on the school district, tax revenue and public infrastructure.
"We didn't know what we didn't know, but once the information came in where Germantown fell... I feel comfortable with this path moving forward," said
Bob Sonderberg village president.
Discussing why not to pursue a multifamily housing cap, village staff and officials agreed that it could create long-term affordability issues and expose the village to fair housing violations.
The policy Germantown pursued mirrors ones implemented in other municipalities like Oconomowoc, which last year
passed a policy to cap multifamily housing at 35% of the city’s housing stock. There, the policy’s implementation resulted in the delay of two projects that were already proposed.
