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Neighbors urge council to stick to comprehensive plan as Backus rezoning is discussed
Summary
Multiple residents told council that the Backus parcel should remain for single‑family development, citing flooding, privacy and a resident‑compiled vacancy analysis (6.5% vacancy). Several speakers urged caution before amending the comprehensive plan to allow a proposed 260‑unit development.
A series of public commenters at the Oct. 27 Verona Common Council meeting urged elected officials to resist rezoning the Backus property from single‑family to urban residential for large multifamily projects.
Dana Berry, who said she examined listings for 34 apartment properties, told the council she found 261 available units out of about 4,044 units (a 6.5% vacancy rate) and said many properties advertised one to two months’ free rent. “I’m bringing this up because I also saw in the Envision Verona plan that Verona stated that we have 190 acres left to develop,” Berry said. She urged the city to consider single‑family housing and to be cautious about adding thousands of apartment units to the local inventory.
Other nearby residents described chronic flooding and property impacts they connect to long‑running construction around the parcel. Melanie Hunt, who lives on North County Road M, described repeated basement flooding and tree loss she said dates to earlier work in the area, and said a 260‑unit complex would place large buildings “15 feet off of our property line” and change neighborhood safety and privacy. Scott Side, an adjacent homeowner, noted the city’s residential phasing policy that aims to limit multifamily approvals to a target range of 35–50 units per year (with exceptions) and urged the council to honor that principle.
How the city responded: Councilmembers acknowledged the concerns and said staff and developers should prioritize neighborhood outreach and careful site design. The council did not act on any rezoning request at the Oct. 27 meeting.
Why it matters: The Backus parcel is a focal point for competing priorities: citywide housing supply and taxpayer revenue versus existing neighborhood character, flood risk and residents’ reliance on the comprehensive plan. Developers and staff will likely bring specific proposals back to the council together with technical analysis, including traffic and stormwater studies. Residents said they will continue to provide data to the council and asked the council to proceed cautiously if the comprehensive plan is to be amended.
