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Council approves planned unit development for 12 single-family lots on Elhauser Road
Summary
The council approved a general development plan, final implementation plan and preliminary plat to create 12 parcels for single-family homes at Elhauser Road with multiple code deviations and conditions.
The Onalaska Common Council approved a three-part application from Traditional Trades to create a planned unit development and preliminary plat for 12 new single-family lots on Elhauser Road.
The approvals included a general development plan, a final implementation plan and a preliminary plat; each item passed on separate motions and council discussion noted that Plan Commission had approved the items with conditions. The plans request deviations from the unified development code, including reduced street-yard setbacks (25 feet to 20 feet) and reduced minimum lot frontage (70 feet to 60 feet). The council approved the general development plan (Plan Commission: 5–1), the final implementation plan (Plan Commission: 6–0) and the preliminary plat (Plan Commission with 26 conditions) with the conditions recommended by the Plan Commission carried forward to the city approvals.
Why it matters: City planning staff and councilors said the proposal will add net new single-family housing stock to Onalaska and that deviations are intended to allow lots consistent with nearby cul-de-sac patterns. Supporters said the smaller lots still support adequate house footprints, garages and yards while adding housing supply.
Council discussion: Alder Mike Milkey said he toured the site with city planner Adam Esomason and collected public input; he characterized the lot-size deviations as consistent with zoning and planning goals and said the change allowed for additional single-family homes. Alder Dan Stevens said the application could be reclassified under a different zoning designation (R-2) but said delaying approval would likely be an inefficient use of time; he expressed support for approval given local housing needs and the broader tax-base benefits to the city and area school districts.
Conditions and implementation: The Plan Commission approved the general development plan with 15 conditions; the final implementation plan carried 14 conditions and the preliminary plat came with 26 conditions. City staff confirmed those conditions will carry through to the council approvals; applicants must meet the listed conditions during permitting and before final plat recording.
Next steps: The applicant (Traditional Trades) will continue to meet the Plan Commission/city conditions, submit required permits and move toward construction once conditions are satisfied and required permits issued.
