Council approves land-use amendment and rezoning for 1- and 2-family development north of Highmount Road

The City of West Bend Common Council on Sept. 8 approved both a comprehensive plan amendment and a rezoning to permit two-family residential development on a small parcel north of Highmount Road on the west side of Stratford Road. Jim, a city planning staff member, explained the two actions are related but use different mapping conventions: the comprehensive plan amendment covers roughly 0.16 acres to change recommended land use from single-family to two-family residential, while the rezoning ordinance applies to about 0.2 acres and will change zoning from RS-4 (single-family) to RD-2 (two-family). City staff said the amendment expands the previously approved change to the south so the entire two-family development would be under the same land-use designation. Council members moved and seconded both ordinances; both motions passed without objection. Council members noted favorable reception from neighbors at the Plan Commission and encouraged builders to discuss the project with local residents. Why it matters: the action allows a developer to proceed with a 1- and 2-family housing project that staff and neighbors said will fill an underused parcel and add housing variety in the neighborhood. Action and next steps: the council approved the land-use and rezoning ordinances; site plans and survey updates have been approved at the Plan Commission level and the developer may proceed with the next steps required by city permitting and inspection processes.