Council approves PUD amendment for President's Plaza to allow Starbucks; neighbors and businesses raise traffic and future-use concerns

The Waukesha Common Council approved a Planned Unit Development (PUD) amendment for 101 West Sunset Drive (Brighton Square / President's Plaza) to allow a freestanding commercial building and drive-through—proposed to be occupied by Starbucks—subject to staff comments and a requirement that the PUD amendment be recorded before building permits are issued.

City planning staff described the site as the underused western parking area of the existing plaza and said the plan commission granted site plan and architectural approval. The site plan includes a drive-through lane that stacks about 15 cars, a left-turn lane restriping on Sunset Drive, additional parking spaces, and a landscape buffer between the new building and adjacent single-family homes.

Several nearby business owners and property owners spoke during the public hearing and again during council discussion. "Traffic will build up... it's gonna back up onto the street," said Keith Jasinski, who leases office space directly west of the site. He told the council he supported updating the property but urged more thorough traffic review and mitigation than the staff-led study required under current protocols. Tarkas Barsaman, owner of the office building at 161 West Sunset Drive, urged the council to consider long-term land-use impacts of converting the PUD from the earlier B3-era restrictions to the current B5 with a PUD overlay and told the council, "A smarter thing would be... keep the zoning the same, build something that looks more like it fits in there, that can be used by multiple tenants."

During council debate, Alderperson Eric Payne and others said traffic flow and stacking had not been addressed to their satisfaction and that left-turn and exit movements over the hill on Sunset Drive could create backups. "I don't feel that traffic flow has been addressed," Payne said. Several alderpersons agreed further attention to turning movements and lane lengths was warranted.

Other council members said the plan commission and engineering staff had reviewed the site and that the proposed restriping would retain two through lanes in each direction while providing a left-turn lane into the site. Alderson Moulton and others said similar Starbucks locations functioned with sufficient stacking and on-site parking and that the project would reutilize underused parking area.

A motion to approve the PUD amendment carried 9 to 4. Conditions include addressing all staff comments and recording the PUD amendment before issuing building permits.

The council did not modify the zoning district (the corridor remains B5 with a PUD overlay), but the amendment changes PUD-specific restrictions such as allowing a freestanding building, permitting varied architectural treatments instead of requiring uniform facade treatments, and allowing public entrances off both East Avenue and Sunset Drive. Staff emphasized the project must meet construction and public-recording requirements before building permits are issued.