Onalaska plan commission denies rezoning for 1030 Fairfield after sustained neighborhood opposition

On Sept. 23 the Onalaska Plan Commission voted to deny a rezoning request to change a vacant parcel at 1030 Fairfield Street (Tax Parcel 18-1042-110) from low‑medium density residential (R-2) to medium‑density residential (R-3), a change the applicant said would allow two eight‑unit row‑house buildings (16 units total).

The parcel is about 1.68 acres and the applicant reduced an earlier 28‑unit proposal after an April hearing, but neighbors said the scaled‑back plan still represents excessive density and would worsen traffic, pedestrian safety and parking near a small neighborhood park.

City planner Katie Aspenson told the commission that the city’s comprehensive plan identifies the parcel for multifamily use and that the R‑3 district “allows a maximum of eight dwelling units per parcel,” noting the applicant intends to divide the site into two parcels to reach the 16 units proposed. Aspenson also said the conceptual plan does not fully conform to the Unified Development Code and that the developer would likely seek a planned unit development (PUD) and…