Verona planning panel recommends denial of 511 West Verona Avenue apartment and event center over parking shortfall

The Verona Plan Commission on Monday recommended denial of a plan development application and a conditional use permit for a proposed 116-unit apartment building and a 14,281-square-foot, 200-person event center at 511 West Verona Avenue, citing an unresolved parking shortfall and insufficient long-term shared-parking agreements.

Planning staff told the commission the project requires 345 parking spaces under code but proposed 170, creating a 175-space exemption request; a study submitted by the applicant showed a 113-space deficiency. Staff concluded those shortfalls and the absence of enforceable long-term shared-parking commitments meant the application did not meet the standards for planned developments and conditional uses and recommended denial.

Luke Severson, planning staff, summarized the recommendation: “As a result, staff is recommending denial of the application.” He told commissioners that draft shared-parking agreements shown to staff generally provided assurances of five years and sometimes 10 but included cancellation clauses, and that city practice and earlier council discussion had pointed to a 20–25 year minimum or permanent easement as an acceptable term.

The applicant’s project team, represented at the meeting by Connor Net of Ford Development Group, said it had revised plans since the December review and had been negotiating shared-parking agreements. Net said the team had worked on circulation and drop-off design to meet truck-radius requirements and that “we revised the agreements. We have 5 years without termination,” language that commissioners and staff noted as short of the city’s requested 20–25 years.

A member of the public, Beth Foss, said she supported housing and an event center in general but worried the combined uses were too much for the site and that the proposed parking totals were inadequate. “It seems like a really big issue,” she told the commission, citing both event attendees who would not stay in hotels and the practical limits of shuttle-based solutions.

Commissioners voiced procedural and policy concerns during discussion. Several members said they supported the concept of housing and an event center but that the parking and enforceability of shared agreements were the dispositive issues. Commissioner Touche moved to recommend denial of the plan development; Elder Posey seconded. The motion passed 6–1. The commission then separately recommended denial of the conditional use permit for the event center by the same 6–1 tally.

Planning staff noted the applicant could reapply after one year or sooner if it returned with a “significant change” such as proof of compliance with all conditions and a longer-term parking agreement; staff used a 20–25 year term as an example the Common Council had in prior discussions. Several commissioners suggested alternative approaches—longer but renewable agreements, easements in perpetuity, or phased solutions—but said nothing presented sufficiently assured long-term parking availability.

The commission record shows the recommendation of denial will be forwarded to the Common Council for final action. Staff and the applicant also discussed site design details raised by commissioners, including a fence along the west property line adjacent to St. Vincent de Paul, which the applicant said it would pay for but would finalize with the neighbor on design and location.

The commission’s vote and staff report will accompany the application to the Common Council next week; staff said the council could require additional conditions or accept the reapplication if the applicant later documents substantial, durable changes to parking assurances.

Votes at a glance: The commission voted 6–1 to recommend denial of the planned development (116 apartments; 14,281 sq ft, 200-person event center) and separately voted 6–1 to recommend denial of the conditional use permit for the event center. The application will proceed to the Common Council with a recommendation of denial.