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Plan Commission approves final site plan for North High School flood-mitigation project and new detention facility
Summary
The commission approved final site plans enabling a city flood-mitigation project that relocates a stormwater channel, adds a detention pond on school district land west of North High School on Michigan Avenue, and reconfigures some campus parking and access.
The Waukesha City Plan Commission on Feb. 26 approved final site plans and architectural review for a city-led flood-mitigation project on land owned by the school district west of North High School at 2222 Michigan Avenue.
Public works and planning staff described a project to enlarge and re-align an existing stormwater channel that currently runs through athletic fields. The channel will be moved west to the property boundary and daylighted in a new corridor, and a detention pond will replace an existing overflow parking area at the south end of the school property. The detention facility will be deeded to the city when complete. "Moving it from the center will allow a new soccer field to be added," said planning staff, explaining how moving the channel improves field usability while increasing capacity for stormwater.
The project also includes a revised vehicular circulation pattern: Cheryl Lane (used for staging during construction) will be reconstructed and designated one-way as a permanent entrance to relieve traffic flow. The plan shows an underground stormwater conveyance through part of the school site and aboveground channeling where it daylights to the west, then under Michigan Avenue at the south end of the property.
Commissioners asked about safety around the new detention pond; staff said no fence is shown in current plans but noted there is a horizontal setback from the sidewalk to the pond edge. "Thats quite an attractive nuisance when you have a couple thousand high school kids," a commissioner said; staff said they would take the comment to the project team for final design consideration.
Action and vote: The commission approved the final site plan and architecture review unanimously. Construction was already underway in parts of the project; the ditch work had not yet begun at the time of the hearing.
Ending: Staff said the detention pond will be deeded to the city and the project will continue under public works oversight; the commission indicated it expects final design items such as fencing or additional safety measures to be addressed in coordination with the school and public works.
