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Plan commission approves Communities of Crocus site plan for supportive housing and community hub
Summary
The Franklin City Plan Commission approved a site plan for the first phase of the Communities of Crocus supportive‑housing development at 0 South 30th Street, including four 4‑unit homes (16 units total), a 19,500‑square‑foot community center and a supportive hub; staff will administratively review natural resource impacts and lighting.
The Franklin City Plan Commission on Oct. 23 approved a site plan for phase 1 of the Communities of Crocus development at 0 South 30th Street (tax key 7619992002). The approved phase includes four four‑unit residential care homes (16 units total), a 19,500‑square‑foot community center for recreational, educational and therapeutic activities, and a supportive hub for caregiver resources.
Planning staff told the commission the application conforms to the previously approved conditional use, comprehensive plan amendment and rezoning for the development’s density and mixture of uses. The site contains constructed wetlands that were installed as part of prior stormwater work with the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District; those constructed wetlands are under a 10‑year easement and, according to staff, are not impacted by the phase‑1 design.
The commission’s approval was conditioned on several administrative follow‑ups: staff will review and approve the applicant’s natural‑resource compensation plan (if required under the UDO), and staff will review the project’s final lighting plan and missing plant list. Planning staff said the proposed buildings meet or exceed the UDO’s architectural standards for the BMU district and that the design intentionally uses residential‑scale detailing and prairie‑style landscaping. The site plan also shows a fence that will enclose outdoor common areas serving residents; the commission included a requirement that the fence not be located closer to the street than any building.
Public comment included support from a parent and disability‑advocacy perspective. Colleen Brown, who identified herself as a plant commissioner for Pewaukee and as a parent of a 26‑year‑old adult with special needs, urged the commission to approve the project, saying Southeastern Wisconsin lacks community housing options for adults with significant care needs.
"This is a great development, and I really hope that you guys see it that way," Colleen Brown said, urging support for housing alternatives to institutional care.
Representatives for the applicant — HGA architects and the civil engineer on the project — confirmed the site‑plan materials and said they are prepared to provide the final plant list and lighting information for staff review. Commissioner Leon moved to allow staff to administratively review natural‑resource impacts and lighting; the motion passed and the commission approved the site plan.
The action taken by the commission allows the developer to proceed with detailed site work for phase 1, subject to the administrative reviews.
The project’s proponents say the development is intended to provide residential, recreational and caregiver support services for adults with complex needs and to create a community alternative to larger institutional placements. Planning staff will confirm the final compensation approach for any wetland‑buffer impacts as required by the UDO before full site work proceeds.
