Plan commission forwards rezoning, approves PUD plans and sends Prairie Avenue vacation to council

The Janesville Plan Commission on March 17 voted to forward a rezoning of property at 1211 and 1230 Prairie Avenue to the City Council, approved preliminary development plans and a conditional use permit for a planned unit development of seven two-family buildings, and voted to forward a vacation of a portion of Prairie Avenue north of Mayapple Drive to council.

The project, presented by Mackenzie Wilcox, associate planner, would consolidate two parcels and part of unimproved right-of-way into a single 5.6-acre site and build seven two-family, single-story buildings (seven duplexes). Wilcox said three of the buildings are planned as two-bedroom units of about 1,300 square feet and four as three-bedroom units of about 1,600 square feet. She described proposed materials and site features and noted staff found the project met criteria for conditional use permit approval subject to conditions in the staff report.

The rezoning request would change the site from R1 (single-family and two-family residence districts) to R1D (two-family residence district) to allow the proposed duplex buildings. The commission received no public comments during the rezoning public hearing. Commissioner Dangara moved to forward the rezoning to the City Council with a favorable recommendation; Commissioner Madera seconded. The voice vote was recorded as unanimous among present commissioners (Commissioners Madera, Dangara, Jackson, Vonsko, Williams and Markline; Commissioner Bowerman was absent). The item will go to City Council on April 14, 2025.

During the separate public hearing on the preliminary development plans and the conditional use permit for the two-family planned unit development, commissioners asked about street access and retaining-wall design. Commissioner Williams asked whether Mayapple Drive would provide adequate turnaround and emergency access. City staff replied the Mayapple terminus will be designed to allow apparatus to turn and that the street work is part of the overall Prairie Avenue extension and may be phased but will be included in the same project. Land surveyor Ryan Combs and design representatives explained the retaining walls are multiple, relatively short (about 3-foot) terrace walls used for yards and not, they said, primarily for slope stability; engineered walls would be required where heights exceed local thresholds. Staff noted the site includes steep slopes in the western portion that will remain undeveloped and that retaining walls and other measures will be required through site plan review.

Commissioner Madera moved to approve the preliminary development plans and the conditional use permit subject to the conditions listed in the staff memorandum; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously by voice vote with the same commissioners present. Separately, Commissioner Markline moved to forward the proposed vacation of Prairie Avenue north of Mayapple Drive to City Council with a favorable recommendation; Commissioner Jackson seconded and the motion passed by voice vote. The commission chair told attendees that if the City Council approves the rezoning and the vacation on April 14, the project will proceed; the conditional use permit approval by the plan commission does not require council action.

The commission's approval was subject to standard conditions noted in staff reports and the site plan review process; the plan commission recorded no amendments to the recommended conditions during the meeting.

For details on materials, lot layout, retaining-wall locations, and conditions, the commission directed participants to the staff reports and plan review letters noted in the record.