A downsized proposal to build 570 housing units in Germantown was rejected by the village's Plan Commission Monday.
Developer
Everett Frenz of
Wisconsin Builders Inc., working on behalf of the property’s Madison-based owners, was planning to rezone the 65-acre property northeast of Fond du Lac Avenue and Donges Bay Road with several multifamily buildings and retail space.
The plans called for several dozen residential buildings ranging from duplexes to a 60-unit building, with a bulk of the buildings being duplexes and quadplexes. The proposal would also include 24,000 square feet of retail space.
Earlier this year,
the developers proposed a 600-unit development with 40,000 square feet of retail space, but commissioners did not support the proposal, saying it had too many rental units and some of the apartment buildings were too large. In response, developers came back Monday with a proposal that slightly decreased the number of planned residences, decreased the size of some of the buildings and increased the number of owner-occupied units.
In a presentation to the Plan Commission, developers emphasized the 10- to 15-year timeline of the project, which would break up the number of residents moving in at one time, as well as Germantown's need for additional "missing middle" housing, but residents and commissioners said the project was "too much" for the village.
Further, commissioners said the land is better suited for industrial development due to the sites adjacency to a rail line and other industrial development built along the line. The village's comprehensive plan says commercial development, including industrial, is the preferred use for the property.
The Plan Commission ultimately voted unanimously to deny the developer's rezoning request.
The developers did not respond to request for comment on future plans for the site.
Owners of the site have been trying to develop the vacant land for more than 20 years, first proposing a senior housing community with up to 400 units and 145,000 square feet of retail space in 2001. Developers received initial zoning approval at the time, but plans did not move forward and zoning reverted back to a manufacturing zone. Developers went back to the village in 2021 with a residential-based proposal, and then went back again in 2023 with a version of today's proposal, which the Plan Commission took a neutral stance on at the time, city documents say.
