Verona Plan Commission approves multiple site plans and plats, forwards 511 West Verona denial to Common Council

The Verona Plan Commission on Jan. 6 approved a series of plats and site plans affecting housing, office and medical development, and forwarded a separate recommendation to deny the 511 West Verona planned development to the Common Council.

Key approvals included a condominium plat for 33 units at 644 Liberty Drive; an amended site plan to relocate three office buildings and a food service building at 1979 Milky Way and a site plan to construct two additional office buildings as part of Epic Systems’ campus 6 at the same address; a site plan for a roughly 37,000‑square‑foot medical office west of County Highway 69 (approved with conditions to take effect on annexation, development agreement and certified survey map, and with post‑occupancy lighting and traffic conditions); and a 14,497‑square‑foot storage building and associated certified survey map at 1079 American Way (approved with conditions). The commission also recommended denial of the planned development and the conditional use permit for the 511 West Verona Avenue proposal (see separate article).

Votes at a glance

- Approval: Minutes from the Dec. 2, 2024 meeting — passed by voice vote. - Condominium plat, 644 Liberty Drive (33 units) — motion by Commissioner Powers; recommended to Common Council for approval (passed). - Site plan amendment, 1979 Milky Way (relocate 3 office buildings and 1 food service building) — motion by Alder Posey; approved (Commissioner Powers abstained). - Site plan (two office buildings), 1979 Milky Way — motion by Alder Posey; approved (Commissioner Powers abstained). - Site plan, medical office (~37,000 sq ft) north of Valley Road/west of County Highway 69 — moved and seconded by commissioners; approved with conditions (approval effective upon annexation, execution of development agreement, approval of CSM, administrative photometric review, reduced after‑hours lighting and administrative approval of traffic impact analysis). - Site plan, storage building (14,497 sq ft), 1079 American Way — motion by Commissioner Powers; approved with conditions including removal of temporary storage by Dec. 1, 2025 or occupancy; future dumpster enclosure review if added. - Certified survey map to create two lots in Verona Technology Park (3.3 acres and 1.8 acres) — recommended to Common Council for approval (passed). - Public Participation Plan for the comprehensive plan — the commission voted to recommend the Common Council approve the PPP; commissioners discussed outreach tactics including QR codes, pop‑up events, utility inserts and timeline clarity.

The commission also held initial, non‑voting reviews of a proposed 124‑unit senior living facility (site location and design options were discussed and commissioners provided design and amenity preferences) and a replat in the Whispering Coves subdivision that would convert an area previously reserved for a future school into multifamily and single‑family lots and modify rights‑of‑way; staff requested feedback about parkland credits, bike‑path connections to County PD, and the mix of housing types (commissioners favored townhomes/stacked flats as “missing middle” options).

Applicants and staff emphasized conditions and follow‑up items on several approvals, including the need for annexation and certified survey maps for the medical office site and further coordination on traffic impact analyses and bike/pedestrian connections. Commissioner comments repeatedly urged more flexible housing types (townhomes/stacked flats/rowhouses) and stronger north–south path connections in Whispering Coves.

Most motions passed by recorded voice or voice tally; where abstentions occurred, they were noted in the meeting record. Several motions will be transmitted to the Common Council for final action or administrative follow up as required by conditions attached to approvals.