Plan Commission Meeting Minutes – January 26, 2017

A meeting of the City of Kaukauna Plan Commission was called to order at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 26, 2017, by Chairman Rosin.

Members Present: Feldt, McGinnis, Oldenburg, Penterman, Rosin, Sundelius.

Also Present: Planning Director Jakel, City Attorney Davidson, Finance Director Van Rossum, Planning/Engineering Technician Holmes, Project Engineer Neumeier, Applicants.

Absent and Excused: Schoenike, VanderSanden.

1. Excuse the Absent. A motion to excuse the absent Commission members was made by McGinnis, seconded by Feldt. All members voted aye. Motion carried.
2. Minutes. A motion to approve the minutes of the December 8, 2016, meeting was made by Penterman, seconded by Sundelius. All members voted aye. Motion carried.
3. Street Vacation – East 13^th Street Adjoining St. Paul Home. Mr. Jakel explained that the St. Paul Home owns property on three sides of the property and has previously petitioned for vacation of other parts of the street. Two lots will be combined into one with 60′ of frontage, making it a legal lot – the street can then be vacated and added to the St. Paul property where they will be responsible for maintenance. Mr. Sundelius asked if the adjoining property owner is aware of the vacation and in favor. Mr. Jakel explained that the neighbor has been working with the St. Paul Home on the project. Mr. Sundelius asked what advantage the vacation would be to St. Paul Home. Mr. Jakel explained that there would be no special assessment for the reconstruction of 13^th Street if their portion is private – which is actually a cost savings for both parties. Mr. Jakel explained that the vacation requires a public hearing and since the property is within one-half mile of a state highway, a 30-day notice to the DOT is required. A motion to recommend that the Council set the Public Hearing to receive comments on the proposed vacation was made by McGinnis, seconded by Penterman. All members voted aye. Motion carried.
4. One Lot CSM – East 13^th Street Adjoining St. Paul Home. Mr. Jakel explained that the CSM would be done in conjunction with Item #3 above. The lot is currently non-conforming and the CSM would address that. A motion to recommend to the Council approval of the CSM subject to the vacation proposed above was made by Feldt, seconded by Sundelius. All members voted aye. Motion carried.
5. One Lot CSM – 1000 West Wisconsin Avenue. Mr. Jakel explained that the applicant’s intent is to combine two lots into one to accommodate the construction of an accessory building over the lot line. The applicant is the owner of both lots. A motion to recommend to the Council approval of the CSM as presented was made by Penterman, seconded by McGinnis. All members voted aye. Motion carried.
6. Disposition of Property at Commerce Crossing – Goodwill. Pat Connor of Newmark Grubb and Pfefferle presented a Letter of Intent by Goodwill Industries of NCW, Inc. for the purchase of approximately three acres in Commerce Crossing. Goodwill likes the location of the park and is flexible on their ultimate location within Commerce Crossing. They are proposing a PILOT (Payment In Lieu of Taxes) as they are tax exempt and the property is within an active TIF district. Mr. Jakel asked about the number of parking stalls needed. Tom Fisk of Newmark Grubb and Pfefferle explained that the requirement is five per 1,000 square foot so approximately 110 parking stalls are needed. Mr. Jakel asked if accommodating storm water onsite was not a concern, would Goodwill consider a smaller sight. Mr. Connor explained that the smallest lot they could consider is 2.1 acres as they have parking and truck access to consider.
7. Executive Session – Disposition of Property at Commerce Crossing to Goodwill. A motion to adjourn to Executive Session at 4:17 p.m. pursuant to Wisconsin State Statute 19.85(1)(e) was made by Penterman, seconded by Sundelius. All members voted aye. Motion carried.
8. Open Session – Disposition of Property at Commerce Crossing to Goodwill. A motion to return to Open Session at 4:55 p.m. was made by McGinnis, seconded by Oldenburg. All members voted aye. Motion carried.

Mr. Jakel asked if the Goodwill facility will include a drop off area. A representative from Goodwill explained that there will be retail sales and a drop-off area, however it will be inside the building and staffed. Chairman Rosin asked if the existing Goodwill drop-off facility on the south side would remain open. The Goodwill representative explained that it would remain open. Mr. Jakel asked about viewing PILOT agreements the applicant has with other communities including Plover, Oshkosh and LaCrosse. Mr. Connor would look into getting that information. Chairman Rosin asked if the PILOT would continue after the TIF closes. Mr. Fisk explained that the payment to cover services like snow removal would continue. Mr. Jakel explained that there are a number of other projects in play including a dental office, strip mall, medical facility, Lazy Dog, and a big box store and asked if Goodwill had a specific spot in mind. The Goodwill representative explained that they would prefer to be next to the medial facility and across from the big box store. Mr. Connor explained that while the LOI shows the applicants interest in the property, there are a number of moving parts to the project and it would be up to the City on how to accommodate them. A motion to direct staff to proceed with finalizing a Letter of Intent with Goodwill Industries of NCW, Inc. for a retail store in Commerce Crossing was made by Feldt, seconded by Sundelius. All members voted aye. Motion carried. Mr. Sundelius asked how far out the other projects are from submitting site plans. Mr. Jakel explained that it would be at least three months before site plans are submitted.

There being no further business to be brought before the Commission, a motion to adjourn the meeting at 5:15 p.m. was made by Penterman, seconded by McGinnis. All members voted aye. Motion carried.

Julianne Schroeder, Executive Secretary