Property owner seeks heavy‑industrial rezoning for South 60th Avenue site; commission forwards recommendation

The Plan Commission on July 15 voted to forward a recommendation that the City Council rezone 903 and 907 South 60th Avenue from medium industrial to heavy industrial at the request of the property owner, Wausau Warehousing LLC.

Owner Wayne Peters told the commission he purchased the former Murray Foundry site in 2015 and believed the parcel historically carried heavy‑industrial zoning. He said the practical difference for his prospective tenant is the ability to store materials outdoors: under the current code revision some outdoor storage uses are classified differently between medium and heavy industrial districts.

Planning staff summarized the city’s 2020 zoning code adoption and explained that parcel reassignments occurred citywide when the new code replaced prior manufacturing districts with three industrial districts. Staff said rezoning is a routine public process available to property owners and that the parcel is adjacent to other industrial zoning, which staff found compatible with a heavy‑industrial designation.

Commissioners asked staff to confirm parcel boundaries; Peters and staff clarified that the application covered the northern parcel and not the smaller parcel to the south. Commissioners also discussed environmental and nuisance considerations; staff noted development and larger industrial uses may be subject to Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources requirements and that the heavy‑industrial district does allow a broader set of uses, including some with greater potential impacts.

With a motion and second, the commission voted to forward the rezoning recommendation; the item is scheduled for City Council consideration on Aug. 12.