Developers preview mixed‑use residential plan for Willow Run golf course; neighborhood traffic and access concerns persist

Land by Label returned to the commission for a second conceptual review of a mixed‑use residential redevelopment of the former Pewaukee Golf Club (Willow Run). The revised concept retains a large natural resource/protected open‑space area on the southwest of the parcel and proposes a reorganization that places garden‑style multifamily buildings in the northeast corner, roughly 283 garden‑style units, a clubhouse and about 42 single‑family for‑rent homes with attached garages.

The project team (Emily Cialdini, Ian Martin and consultants) said a traffic impact analysis (TIA) was completed and is under county review; the TIA recommended mitigation at the Gulf Road access including a westbound right‑turn lane and an eastbound bypass lane and concluded that cut‑through traffic onto Milkweed and FieldHack would be limited (estimated 10–20% of project traffic in that corridor). The team proposed alternatives to discourage cut‑through trips — including a T‑median or one‑way exit design — and said they are willing to consider limited emergency/access gates or dedication of an existing access easement at Meadowbrook to create a public road if required by the city.

Neighbors from Meadowbrook Village, River Park Meadows and surrounding areas raised repeated objections at the courtesy comment period: they argued existing traffic and safety problems at River Park Drive/Highway 164 would worsen, voiced concerns about loss of wildlife habitat and deer displacement, and opposed connecting the proposed development to Meadowbrook’s private roads. Several residents urged the developer to pursue a public connection at the Fatima Lane/GE property instead; the project team said they had tried to reach GE but had not secured a connection and would continue to pursue it.

Commissioners said the concept showed improvements in open‑space preservation but expressed concerns about density and the single new primary access to Gulf Road. Several commissioners asked the applicant to continue coordination on possible Fatima/GE access and to refine the road network so internal streets would not function as a high‑speed collector. Staff noted utility studies for sewer and water capacity are ongoing; commissioners and residents urged the developer to complete traffic and utility analyses before returning with a formal application. Because the presentation was conceptual, no formal vote occurred; the commission acknowledged the park/open‑space preservation positively but asked the applicant to take neighbor concerns into account in future submissions.