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Plan Commission approves adaptive-reuse conditional use permit for 322 Church Avenue
Summary
The Oshkosh Plan Commission approved a conditional use permit allowing conversion of a historic 1913 commercial building at 322 Church Avenue back to single-family use via an adaptive reuse process; the vote was unanimous.
The Oshkosh Plan Commission approved a conditional use permit to allow adaptive reuse of a 1913 two-story building at 322 Church Avenue, permitting the site’s conversion from commercial office space back to single-family residential use, by a 7-0 roll call vote.
Staff told the commission the parcel, on the northeast corner of Church Avenue and Jackson Street, was constructed in 1913 and used as a single-family home until 1974; it changed to commercial use in 1975 and has primarily served as office space since. The property is zoned Urban Mixed Use (UMU), where single-family use is not generally permitted, but staff recommended adaptive reuse approval because the structure historically accommodated a single-family residence and the conversion will not change the building footprint or exterior appearance.
Assistant community development director Sarah Rutkowski noted an update in staff reports to provide more relevant contextual findings for such applications. Staff concluded the conversion would not impose substantial adverse impacts on nearby properties, traffic, parking or public infrastructure and recommended approval subject to the findings in the staff report.
Commission discussion focused on zoning approach. Commissioner Lowenstein asked why the city would not rezone the parcel residential; staff answered that rezoning would constitute spot zoning in an otherwise UMU corridor and that adaptive reuse is the appropriate mechanism to restore a prior residential use while keeping consistent zoning.
No public speakers addressed the item and the commission voted to adopt the staff findings and recommendations for the conditional use permit. The motion carried 7-0.
