Commission approves south‑side dunnage storage, refers north‑side container request for 1079 American Way

The Verona Planning Commission voted to approve permanent outdoor storage of rotating dunnage (pallets) on the south side of the Wisconsin Brewing Company property at 1079 American Way, recommended approval of a site plan amendment with revised landscaping, and referred a separate request to permit two Connex containers with a canopy on an adjacent lot to staff and the applicant for further review.

Kevin Zerman, president of Wisconsin Brewing Company, asked the commission to allow the brewery to retain two 40‑foot Connex trailers beneath a 19‑foot canopy to shelter pallets and outdoor furnishings until additional warehouse construction is completed. "That canopy that peaks at 19 feet high and is 40 feet deep is a perfect place, during times of inclement weather, or even in seasons with inclement weather for us to put the wooden pallets," Zerman said during public comment.

Staff supported the south‑side dunnage storage, recommending denial of the north‑side container request because the containers were proposed on a separate, unimproved lot and could not be sufficiently screened; code requires permanent outdoor storage to be screened and placed on paved surfaces. Staff also noted the applicant previously agreed to remove temporary storage once expansion proceeded and that more containers than were previously approved had routinely been staged on site.

Commission action: The commission recommended the Common Council approve the conditional use permit for rotating dunnage on the south side of the building (motion by Commissioner Hankard; second by Alder Swanson) and approved a site plan amendment to revise landscaping and the dumpster enclosure on a motion by Alder Swanson, seconded by Commissioner Wood, with the condition that five trees along the south property line be replaced with native canopy species. For the separate request to allow two Connex containers with a canopy on the north lot, commissioners moved to pull that item for referral and further work with staff and the applicant; Commissioner Wood made the motion to refer, and Commissioner Harrison seconded.

Why it matters: The brewery is building a large warehouse complex in phases; staff said some temporary outdoor storage was previously allowed until expansion occurred, but the current request to make additional storage permanent on a separate lot raises screening, paving, and accessory‑use concerns. The site plan amendment includes new screening and an eight‑foot fence in rear storage areas; staff recommended replacing proposed low shrubs with native canopy trees to provide taller screening above the fence.

What’s next: The commission’s recommendation on the south‑side dunnage CUP and the site plan amendment will be forwarded to the Common Council or implemented per staff procedures. The north‑lot container request will be revisited at a future Planning Commission meeting after staff and the applicant confer.