Neighbors press plan commission on 120‑unit Harris Highland apartment proposal; no action taken

The Waukesha Plan Commission heard a consultation on a proposed 120‑unit apartment development on Harris Highland Drive on Jan. 22, with staff and neighbors urging more detailed engineering before the project proceeds.

Doug (city staff) summarized two concept layouts for three 3‑story buildings on about 4.9 acres, noting the site’s steep topography and that the property is currently zoned T1 (temporary). He said the developer proposed underground parking beneath two of the buildings and surface parking in a central courtyard, and that the project would likely require a planned unit development and rezoning to multifamily standards.

The presentation focused staff concerns on steep driveway grades, retaining walls, the location of stormwater ponds and a required secondary emergency access. ‘‘The fire department requires a minimum of 20‑foot pavement for an emergency access,’’ Doug said, and he told commissioners the secondary access currently shown is a 20‑foot strip that would not meet setback requirements to adjacent residential lots without relief.

The commission and staff repeatedly asked the developer for a conceptual grading plan and cross‑section drawings. Commissioner Wells said, ‘‘without the elevations and the drawings . . . I’m skeptical that this works,’’ and asked whether some buildings could be reduced to two stories to reduce the visual and grade impact on neighboring homes.

Residents who live directly adjacent to the site pressed the commission on privacy, traffic and safety. Scott Albrecht of 1800 Manor Court said, ‘‘I just have some concerns about the size of the building that’s going to go back there,’’ and called for shifting or removing buildings nearest single‑family lots. Jenna Weingard (1803 Manor Court) said the neighborhood ‘‘bought our house because it was on a cul‑de‑sac and because of the backyard, the privacy.’’ Dan Sykes (1810 Manor Court) raised concerns about stormwater ponds and where school buses and pickups would be staged.

Letters submitted by David Fry and Bob Severson, read into the record by staff, asked detailed questions about parking counts, visitor parking, whether a traffic signal would be required at Harris Highland and St. Paul Avenue, stormwater safety around ponds, and which school district boundaries would apply.

Commissioners suggested several changes to make the site more workable: reduce the unit count, pull buildings together to shorten the internal driveway and parking demand, provide longitudinal and cross sections showing driveway grades and retaining walls, and explore alternate emergency access options such as easements through adjacent properties. Several commissioners said the project likely needs to be reduced in scale or redesigned to meet zoning and fire‑access standards.

Because the item was a consultation, the commission made no formal decision and no votes were taken. Staff and commissioners recommended that the developer return with grading plans, clearer stormwater designs and a revised layout addressing the 65‑foot effective rear setbacks required when multifamily abuts single‑family properties.

The commission scheduled no specific follow‑up date; staff said a full preliminary plan would be required before formal review.

Impacted neighbors and commissioners said they expect future submittals to draw more public comment.