Planning commission approves Golden Egg Rolls redevelopment at 314 Main Street with several design deviations

On March 25 the Onalaska Planning Commission approved a General Development Plan (GDP) and an implementation plan to redevelop 314 Main Street (Tax Parcel 18-157-0) into a restaurant and related site improvements, granting five deviations from the city's Unified Development Code for the project proposed by Golden Egg Rolls LLC.

Planning Director Katie Asmanson told the commission the project would convert the existing building into a new restaurant called Mungold Negril's and requested deviations to reduce the parking-lot setback requirement, lower the minimum building street-frontage percentage, reduce the required transparency on a street-facing façade, allow a blank wall on the western (alley) façade, and permit alternate façade materials on the north (Main Street) and western facades.

Asmanson said the parcel is in the Mixed Use Community district and that the code requires 75% building street frontage and 60% street-facing transparency. The applicant sought to reduce street frontage to 64% and transparency to 34%, arguing that achieving 60% transparency would require full-height windows that could expose structural framing and compromise the building. Asmanson also said the building was constructed in 1973 with an addition in 1998 and that the proposed work would come into partial conformance while keeping some existing siding on site. She noted the applicant is spending more than 50% of the structure's value on the project, which triggers district-specific standards.

City staff recommended approval of the requested deviations but suggested adding a brick or masonry component — for example, a 3- to 5-foot brick base along the Main Street façade wrapping partially along the western alley — to better meet the intent of the façade-material standards. Asmanson read the staff recommendation and said staff had prepared 19 conditions of approval for the GDP and 18 conditions for the implementation plan.

Jason Skifton, representing Bridal Brothers (the contractor listed in the packet), said the design intent is a modern look using architectural metal above and below windows. Skifton told the commission that a true brick masonry veneer would be difficult on the existing foundation and likely would require a different (thin/mortarless) installation that could affect appearance; he said the applicant preferred the materials shown in the packet.

Commission discussion centered on whether to require some masonry element. Planning Commission President Mike Milken opened the floor; Commissioner Tom Smith moved to approve the GDP with the 19 conditions in the packet, and Bill Lieflin seconded. Commissioners discussed an amendment to require brick but ultimately left the motion as submitted. Several commissioners said they liked the addition of brick for “curb appeal,” while others said modern materials could also meet downtown character and that staff should work with the applicant if changes were desired. Jan Brock and others urged staff review rather than specifying exact percentages or locations of masonry in the motion.

The commission voted to approve the General Development Plan with the 19 staff conditions as presented; the motion carried unanimously. Later in the meeting the commission separately voted to approve the implementation plan for the same development (18 conditions), again by unanimous roll-call outcome.

The approvals allow the developer to proceed with the site plan and the façade work as shown in the submitted renderings, subject to the listed conditions. Staff retained the ability to require particular details through conditions; the commission did not amend condition language at the meeting to mandate a brick component.

Votes at a glance: General Development Plan for 314 Main Street (Golden Egg Rolls LLC) — motion by Commissioner Tom Smith, second by Bill Lieflin; outcome: approved unanimously with 19 conditions. Implementation plan for 314 Main Street (Golden Egg Rolls LLC) — motion by Commissioner Tom Smith, second by Mike Milken; outcome: approved unanimously with 18 conditions.

The commission record notes that the building materials on the north and west facades will include larger new windows, new horizontal architectural steel siding in portions, and retention of some LP SmartSide engineered wood siding on the north elevation. The parcel’s existing parking increases from nine stalls to a proposed 18 stalls for the development; staff approved reduced parking setbacks on several parcel edges citing the property's historic development pattern and prior construction dates (1973 and 1998).