Council approves rezoning of two Grove Street parcels after neighbors raise safety, odor and parking concerns

The Fond du Lac City Council on Oct. 22 adopted an amendment to the city's 2040 comprehensive plan and an ordinance rezoning 335 and 341 Grove Street from R-1 single-family residential to M-1 manufacturing to allow expansion of employee parking for the adjacent food-processing site.

Neighbors spoke at length during audience comments, citing noise, intermittent ammonia or "sour" odors, occasional airborne particulates and frequent semi-truck traffic. "My major concern is just with the evacuations," said Zach Rogers, a North Side resident, describing chemical-evacuation drills and limited evacuation routes where the plant is bounded by the river and railroad. "I don't want additional area closer or deeper into residential areas that could support a facility that could have, like, a cause an evacuation of any form."

Marie Kelly, who said she has lived across the street since 2009, described repeated evacuations with little or no official notification and employee parking that blocks driveways. "The smell prevents us from opening our windows, taking the kids outside," she said. "There are many times when we have to evacuate our house, and not being told what's going on."

Not all nearby residents opposed the rezoning. Kenneth Kane, whose property is contiguous to the parcels, told the council the immediate parking shortage is the central issue and said rezoning to allow a dedicated employee lot would "make the problem go away" for the neighborhood.

Community Development Director Lisa Benson (first reference: Miss Benson, community development director) told council members that the plan commission had considered a broader land-use change but, after hearing residents' concerns, recommended a narrowly scoped comprehensive-plan amendment limited to those two parcels. "While M-1 zoning does allow for a broader development per se, in actuality, the size of the parcel itself is going to limit the ability to comply with the zoning code for any additional development other than a parking lot," Benson said, noting bulk and setback requirements would constrain other manufacturing uses on the small parcels.

Council members asked whether the rezoning would allow a wastewater-treatment facility cited in company documents; Benson said that approval of the two parcels for rezoning "would not open the door" for that use at 335/341 Grove Street and that any separate facility would follow standard permitting processes and siting requirements. After the discussion, council adopted Ordinance No. 3818 (comprehensive-plan amendment) and Ordinance No. 3819 (rezoning) by unanimous vote.

The measures change land-use designation and zoning only for parcels 335 and 341 Grove Street; the council and staff said the plan commission explicitly limited the change to those two lots following public comment. The city did not record a roll-call vote in the meeting transcript; the clerk announced each motion "passes unanimously."

Council members and staff said they will follow up with the company on truck routing and other traffic-management steps to reduce heavy-vehicle impacts on Grove Street.

Residents who voiced concerns asked the company for clearer advance notice of operations that could trigger evacuations and requested further engagement about long-term plans for wastewater handling and truck traffic.

The ordinance and comprehensive-plan amendment will take effect according to standard municipal procedures.