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Wausau plan commission backs rezoning of Lake Street parcels for townhomes
Summary
The Wausau Plan Commission voted to recommend rezoning four parcels along Lake Street and Cello Street from single‑family to a townhome residential district (TRD 12); the measure will go to City Council on Aug. 12.
The Wausau Plan Commission on July 15 recommended that City Council rezone 1427 Lake Street and three adjacent parcels on Cello Street from single‑family residential districts (SR‑5 and SR‑2) to TRD 12, a townhome residential district.
Mark Thompson of MTS, speaking for applicant Wausau Real Estate LLC, told the commission the application was substantially the same as a 2022 filing and that the development would advance city housing goals by adding mixed‑housing options. “We submitted this application for amendment back in the late 2022,” Thompson said. He said the proposed project would yield about 6.4 units per acre, higher than adjacent lots but well below the TRD 12 theoretical maximum of 12 units per acre.
The commission’s staff noted that TRD 12 permits duplexes, townhomes and small multiplexes by right and allows five‑to‑eight unit buildings only by conditional use, which would require a separate review if the site is rezoned. Staff also said the TRD 12 district has a maximum building height of about 35 feet, equivalent to a typical two‑story building.
A nearby resident, Ken Johnson of 1306 Lake Street, raised concerns about vehicle access and local street conditions, saying the area has limited egress and road surfaces that are “very beat up.” The commission and staff said access details would be addressed during subsequent conditional‑use and infrastructure reviews; staff noted the conceptual plan proposes access from the Lake Street frontage that would tie into an existing connection to 17th Avenue.
Ald. (Alder) Watson and other commissioners questioned traffic and infrastructure impacts; staff replied that access could be handled by either an extension of the frontage road or a private drive and that public works would determine the final solution during permit review.
With a motion from Vulcan and a second from Barnaman, the commission voted by voice to recommend approval; no commissioners recorded opposition. The rezoning recommendation will be considered by City Council at its Aug. 12 meeting.
The commission’s action was limited to the zoning map amendment; any specific site plan, number of units in a building above four, access design, stormwater or other infrastructure changes would be reviewed under separate conditional‑use and permitting processes.
