Germantown plan commissioners continue debate on multifamily housing policy, direct staff to gather local data

The Village of Germantown Plan Commission on May 12, 2025 continued a discussion about whether the village should set a target percentage for multifamily housing and what metrics staff should gather before any policy is proposed. No ordinance, resolution or binding percentage was adopted; commissioners directed staff to collect additional local data and return with findings.

The conversation followed public comments and a presentation from planning staff. Jordan, planning staff, said, “One of the main takeaways from that was to get the Tracy Cross study involved and have, all of you read it or reread it, let's say, and have that be a discussion point.” The commission heard residents urge clearer definitions and Germantown‑specific data rather than regional assumptions from the Tracy Cross report.

Why it matters: commissioners framed the issue as one that could affect school capacity, tax revenue and the village’s rural character. Several commissioners stressed the need to understand local housing stock, how many units are presently occupied, and whether recent senior housing additions skew demographic metrics.

Discussion highlights and staff directions

- Public commenters asked for renewed resident surveying and for staff to reconcile the 2050 plan’s household projections (the 2050 plan referenced adding about 2,300 households by 2040) with figures in the Tracy Cross report and with local conditions. Melanie Smythe noted the 2050 plan’s household projection and asked the commission to re‑examine earlier draft notes and inconsistencies.

- David Baum (public comment) said, “A policy on multifamily deciding what percentage we should have is completely an arbitrary number,” urging multifamily be used as a planning tool “in the right place at the right time.”

- Staff outlined specific recommended tasks for follow‑up: conduct a ground‑level inventory to verify Census and village records; produce imagery and clear definitions of housing types (for example, distinguishing between townhouses, row housing and large apartment blocks); prepare estimates of the cost of community services for different housing types (impact to schools, police, fire and tax base); and solicit resident feedback on housing preferences. Staff also suggested considering whether senior‑restricted units or nursing homes should be included in a multifamily metric.

- Commissioners asked the plan commission to wait for two outstanding school district capacity reports before finalizing any guidance. Several members emphasized that any target percentage should not be “cast in stone” and could be framed as a guideline or range rather than a mandatory cap.

Quantitative and contextual details captured in the meeting

- Staff baseline comparison shown in the packet treated mobile homes with single‑family housing and displayed a roughly 75% single‑family / 25% multifamily split for Germantown in comparative communities.

- Commissioners and commenters referenced a 97% occupancy rate for existing rental stock and a median home price cited in the packet of about $356,700; speakers cautioned that construction and lot costs affect the feasibility of new single‑family development.

- Multiple residents and commissioners asked for Germantown‑specific breakdowns that separate owner‑occupied from rental multifamily units and that identify the age of existing multifamily stock (several speakers said older complexes are skewing perceptions).

Outcome and next steps

The commission did not take formal action to adopt a percentage cap. Instead commissioners directed staff to prioritize the staff‑recommended tasks described in the packet (inventory verification, definitions/imagery, and community‑services cost estimates), solicit resident feedback, and return with results after the village receives the school district capacity studies. The commission agreed the information should next be shared with the Village Board and then revisited by the plan commission for further policy consideration.

Ending: The commission moved on to other agenda business after approximately 90 minutes of discussion; no vote or binding directive setting a multifamily percentage occurred at this meeting.