Plan commission recommends combining lots for Goddard School site plan; approves conditional site‑plan pending engineering

The Plan Commission recommended approval of a certified survey map to combine lots 22 and 23 in Arboretum Office Park and conditionally approved the Goddard School site plan at 1117 Stevenson Lane, subject to outstanding engineering submittals.

Staff told the Plan Commission the applicant, Goddard School, proposes to combine two office park lots for a daycare use and that Strand Associates and the village engineer had reviewed the application. "There are, however, some missing pieces of information — stormwater management plan, erosion control plan, and some amendments to the site plan documents — and we've been told they'll be here by the end of the week," Lauren (Community Development Director) said.

Representatives from the applicant team said the proposed facility includes 42 on‑site parking stalls, which the Goddard operator Michael said exceeds Goddard's minimum requirement and is intended to support check‑in/drop‑off operations where parents park and escort children inside rather than using drive‑through stacking. Michael said the school’s check‑in procedure reduces on‑street queuing risk and that Goddard’s experience across about 650 locations has not shown widespread queuing problems.

Commissioners raised questions about peak drop‑off and pick‑up times, potential future additions, fire access, light spill to adjacent residences and the two play areas shown on the proposed plan. Staff and applicants confirmed fire reviewed the access and had no comments; photometric plans are part of the package and building‑mounted lights will be full cutoff fixtures as required by village code. Lauren said the outstanding engineering items — erosion control, stormwater management and utility releases — do not substantially change the appearance, parking or traffic circulation but must be submitted and approved before final signoff.

Plan Commission motions: commissioners moved to recommend approval of the CSM combining lots 22 and 23 to the Village Board, conditioned on the applicant providing utility easement releases and coordinating with Waunakee utilities to abandon one set of surface laterals. The commission also moved to conditionally approve the site plan pending resolution of the outstanding engineering comments from Strand Associates to the satisfaction of the Community Development Director.

Both motions carried. Commissioners recorded the motions and votes during the meeting; audio shows the assembly approving the motions with voices saying “Aye” and one “Opposed” on each motion before the chair concluded "Motion carries." Staff indicated the applicant expects to begin work shortly after final CSM approval at Village Board and after the remaining engineering documents are supplied.

Ending: The Plan Commission’s conditional approval allows the Goddard project to move forward to the Village Board for the CSM; final site plan approval will be completed administratively once the outstanding engineering and utility easement items are received and approved.