Plan commission approves land‑use and zoning changes for 64.13‑acre Paradise Drive site for multifamily development

The West Bend Plan Commission on Oct. 7 voted to recommend a change to the city’s 2020 comprehensive plan and to rezone about 64.13 acres at the southwest corner of East Paradise Drive and South River Road from single‑family residential to multifamily residential and permanent RM‑3 zoning with multiple wetland and floodplain overlays.

The change and rezoning were requested by Fiduciary Real Estate Development to allow a phased multifamily project the company described as up to 391 units, with a first phase of roughly 240 units. Staff told the commission the site has a high water table and wetland areas that constrain traditional single‑family development and that the proposed multifamily use would sit primarily on the upland portions of the parcel.

Fiduciary representatives presented the project and market analysis. “We’re focused almost exclusively on multifamily residential,” Craig Raditz of Fiduciary Real Estate Development said, describing the firm’s 40‑year history and its portfolio of roughly 9,000 units across about 40 communities. Sam Elliott, identified as the firm’s development coordinator, showed a conceptual site plan the company said would be low density (about 6 units per acre), preserve large green areas and include amenities such as a clubhouse, pool and trail connections.

Several nearby property owners and residents urged the commission to weigh traffic and local need. “Why do we need more apartments in the city here when every apartment complex you go by has ‘for rent’ signs out there?” asked Paige Presley, who lives on Paradise Drive. Nick Thill, a nearby business owner, and Chris Schrage and Jeremy Le Sage, who each said they own or live on adjacent parcels, also raised traffic, driveway access and neighborhood‑character concerns.

Fiduciary and city staff responded that a detailed traffic impact study will be required as the site plan is refined and that the developer plans to phase construction to match market demand. “The traffic analysis will go through that and kind of point that out and kind of help determine exactly what sort of traffic improvements might be needed,” Paul Schmitter of Fiduciary said. The developer said it uses third‑party market studies and internal occupancy tracking; staff and the developer referenced industry studies indicating downtown rental occupancies near 90–95 percent in comparable properties.

Commission discussion noted technical constraints on the parcel. A staff member explained that the property had been annexed into the city with temporary zoning and that the high water table and wetlands limit conventional single‑family construction (for example, houses without basements), making multifamily a more feasible use of the upland areas. Commissioners also emphasized that the final site plan, access points and any required road or stormwater improvements will be reviewed separately during site‑plan and traffic‑study review.

After public comment and developer responses, the commission approved the comprehensive plan map amendment and then approved the zoning change to RM‑3 with the listed wetland and floodplain overlays. Both approvals were taken as voice votes; the record shows motions and seconds on the floor and that each motion “carried.” The commission will review later, more detailed site‑plan and traffic‑study submissions before any construction permits are issued.

The action responds to a developer request and staff findings about site constraints; it does not approve a final site plan, building permits, or the traffic or stormwater improvements that will be required. Those details will be addressed in subsequent submissions and reviews.