Plan Commission approves golf‑cart sales and service building on Main Street

The East Troy Plan Commission approved a site plan and architectural review for a proposed 4,968‑square‑foot building for golf cart sales and service on Main Street for Hot Carts of Wisconsin LLC. The commission approved the plan with conditions, including a sidewalk easement across the site and limits on outdoor display that confine display to the covered front porch.

Planner Oren described the project as a three‑part building with a covered porch display area, a sales office and a rear service shop. The applicant plans about three employees and 9 a.m.–5 p.m. hours, Monday–Saturday, and said there would be no overnight outdoor storage. The parcel has no direct access to Main Street; access will use an existing shared drive aisle established by a certified survey map and cross‑access agreement.

The application proposes five on‑site parking spaces, one accessible, while the zoning code requires a minimum of 17 off‑street spaces for the proposed use. The applicant requested to share 12 spaces with the adjacent development under a shared‑parking arrangement; staff cited a code provision that allows shared parking subject to plan commission approval. Commissioners asked whether additional display carts could be located on the porch and about potential sight‑line issues near the Highway ES corner; the commission inserted a condition that outdoor display be limited to the covered porch and that display not block sight lines. The commission also agreed to require the applicant to return for sign approval through the village sign process.

Commissioners asked about safety related to lithium batteries in electric carts. The applicant said the carts use lithium batteries and are primarily electric with lithium battery systems; a staff speaker and another participant said the fire department is trained to address lithium battery fires and that the cart batteries are much smaller than the battery packs in electric cars. The fire‑safety discussion noted cooling procedures and availability of firefighting equipment as appropriate response steps.

The commission approved the site plan by voice vote; minutes recorded the motion and that the motion carried but did not list individual vote tallies in the commission record. The applicant said the development will activate a long‑vacant lot, replace trees on the site with new landscaping and could bring customers through the square.

The commission also asked staff to ensure any future sidewalk or right‑of‑way work be coordinated with DPW and the village engineer, and it required a sidewalk easement as a condition of approval.