Plan Commission approves comprehensive-plan change to allow neighborhood commercial use at 1705 Oshkosh Ave.; vote 5-3

The City of Oshkosh Plan Commission voted 5-3 on Feb. 4 to amend the comprehensive land-use map for a property at 1705 Oshkosh Avenue from light-density residential to neighborhood commercial, clearing the way for a later rezoning and site plan review.

Planning staff summarized the proposal: the subject property is a Victorian-style house with a detached garage on the southwest corner of Oshkosh Avenue and Northwestfield Street in a single-family residential (SR5) district. The applicant, Rollock LLC (represented by Will Steiner), said the owner intends to use the existing house for offices, professional services or individual office suites; the applicant also said an alternate plan could be to operate a short-term rental (Airbnb/bed-and-breakfast) if rezoning is not granted.

Neighbor testimony was strongly opposed. Catherine Jackson, whose property abuts the parcel, said, "I would be 10 feet from a parking lot, which certainly doesn't make me very happy," and argued the change would undermine the residential character the city earlier sought to preserve for the south side of Oshkosh Avenue. Several other residents raised concerns about traffic, property values and the city’s adherence to its own comprehensive plan.

Commission debate split along preservation and flexibility lines. Vice Chair Kiefer opposed the change, saying he would not approve it and expressing concern about setting a precedent and "zone creep" along the corridor. Several commissioners argued the parcel’s corner location, lot depth and existing nearby commercial uses made neighborhood commercial an appropriate exception; one commissioner noted the property’s scale and configuration made it better suited to investment and reinvestment as offices than to languishing or becoming a transient rental.

Staff explained zoning implications and regulatory requirements: short-term rentals are allowed up to 180 days per year under existing rules; a short-term rental could operate without additional parking or screening beyond four uncovered parking stalls allowed by right, but additional year-round commercial uses would trigger full zoning standards, including buffer and screening requirements (e.g., five-foot minimum buffer, fencing or evergreen shrubs at property lines). Planning staff also noted that any TIF assistance would require a separate development agreement with the common council; TIF 35 contains language about façade/site-improvement grants but no active homeowner program at present.

The commission’s vote was 5-3 in favor of the land-use map amendment. Commissioners opposing the amendment cited the comprehensive plan process and the desire to preserve residential character for the corridor; proponents said a corner parcel of this size and configuration is commonly suitable for neighborhood commercial uses and that the rezoning process could include plan-development overlay and buffering conditions to protect neighbors. If the plan amendment stands, the rezone would proceed to the common council for two readings (first reading March 11; final vote March 25), and the council would consider any requests for TIF assistance or development agreements at that time.

The commission’s action changes the future land-use designation; it does not itself rezone the property or authorize construction. Those steps would require subsequent applications and additional public review.