The City Plan Commission met 04/09/2025. They have four action items on their agenda including a special use permit for a landscape business, a rezoning, an annexation of 95 acres of Grand Chute farmland into the City of Appleton, and approval of the Lundgaard Park pavilion.
All four items were approved with minimal discussion.
I’ve prepared a transcript of the discussion for download:
ITEM 25-0325: SPECIAL USE PERMIT #3-25 FOR A LANDSCAPE BUSINESS LOCATED AT 727 WEST WEILAND AVENUE AND NEIGHBORING LOT – This special use permit pertained to two adjacent lots. One of the lots has a 2,400 square foot contractor office building with overhead garage. The other lot is vacant.
The applicant would like to operate a landscape business out of the property. He would use the existing building for office space and indoor storage and planned to fence in the vacant lot and use it to store equipment, vehicles, and materials.
Additionally, the owner planned to combine the two parcels and was already working with the city on accomplishing that.
The proposed use required a special use permit. City staff determined that the use fit with the surrounding area which was a mix of commercial and residential and what compliant with Appleton’s comprehensive plan.
Alderperson Denise Fenton (District 6) asked if there were any concerns about noise related to the business and was told that there were city ordinances in place to cover noise concerns and noise had not been something that had been included with the review.
The commission had no further questions and approved the item unanimously.
ITEM 25-0327: REZONING #1-25 FOR THE SUBJECT PARCELS LOCATED AT 1930 WEST COLLEGE AVENUE, 1932 WEST COLLEGE AVENUE, AND 120 NORTH WOODS EDGE DRIVE FROM M-2 GENDERAL INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT TO C-2 GENERAL COMMERCIAL DISTRICT – The owner was seeking to combine an adjacent parcel that was zoned C-2 with these parcels. Getting all the parcels to have the same zoning was a necessary step to accomplish that. His ultimate vision was to turn the area into a site that would house a micro-brewery.
The parcels had been zoned M-2 ever since they had first been annexed into the city from Grand Chute. The site had first been developed under Grand Chute’s zoning standards which were different than Appleton’s, and the parcels had been legally non-conforming since having been annexed into Appleton. Almost all of the lots were paved whereas Appleton’s code requires no more than 75% to be paved.
It was noted that allowing the redevelopment of the site would result in the amount of impervious surface being reduced. It would probably not become fully conforming but it would get closer to city code, a side benefit of which would be that it would reduce their storm water utility fee.
Mayor Woodford confirmed with city staff that the owner would not be required to come fully into compliance with the city code if they started redeveloping the property and was told that they could not increase the degree of non-conformity but would not have to become fully conforming.
The item was approved unanimously.
ITEM 25-0328: REQUEST TO APPROVE THE DORN ANNEXATION CONSISTING OF APPROXIMATELY 95.949 ACRES LOCATED AT 4700 NORTH RICHMOND STREET, CURRENTLY IN THE TOWN OF GRAND CHUTE – The land being annexed was anticipated to be developed into single family housing. Land that is annexed into the city come in zoned as agricultural districts, but the petitioner was requesting that the Plan Commission initiate a rezoning from agricultural to an R-1B district to help facilitate the housing development. City staff had already completed the rezoning application and, upon approval of the annexation, city staff would complete the processing of that application. It was expected to come forward at a future Plan Commission meeting.
Mayor Woodford commented that, given that Appleton was pushing up against its boundaries, it was a great thing to be able to bring an additional 95 acres into the city.
The commission voted unanimously to approve the annexation.
ITEM 25-0329: REQUEST TO APPROVE THE LOCATION AND ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OF THE PROPOSED PAVILION IN LUNDGAARD PARK LOCATED AT 4900 N LIGHTNING DRIVE – Lundgaard Park is named in honor of Mitch Lundgaard the firefighter who was killed by the overdosing man to whom he was rendering aid. Mayor Woodford said, “I would say there’s been as much thought put into the pavilion as maybe any other civic building that’s ever been constructed in the City of Appleton, lots of engagement from the fire department, Lundgaard family, and excited to see this moving forward.” He thought adding the pavilion would substantially complete the park and provide a great space for community gatherings. He noted that the pavilion design was different from other park pavilions and featured a tower that was inspired by traditional firehouses. He also expressed thanks for the donor support without which a pavilion like this would not have been able to be built in a neighborhood park.
The item was approved unanimously.
View full meeting details and video here: https://cityofappleton.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=1264044&GUID=1F9B2BE0-8DEB-4ECD-9FBB-61C0B9B3DE54
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