Plan Commission approves land‑use change and rezoning step to allow neighborhood commercial at 1109 S. Taylor St.

The Green Bay Plan Commission voted Nov. 17 to forward to the City Council a proposed amendment to the comprehensive plan and a rezoning request that would allow commercial uses at 1109 South Taylor Street.

Planning staff told the commission the parcel is roughly twice the size of nearby residential lots and sits near existing commercial properties and a KinderCare facility. Staff recommended changing the parcel’s future land‑use designation from low‑density residential to commercial and rezoning the lot to C‑1, Green Bay’s lightest commercial district, saying the location and lot size make the change appropriate. "We are recommending approval of the request," a planning staff member said during the presentation.

Several neighbors testified at the public hearing that followed. One resident said the parcel backs directly onto their backyard and called the request a form of spot zoning that could worsen traffic at a nearby roundabout and affect children who attend the adjacent daycare. "Who wants a laundromat in their backyard?" Cheryl Lee told the commission, urging planners to keep the area residential.

Staff emphasized that specific operational details — hours of operation, lighting and buffering — would be addressed during site‑plan review if the rezoning is approved. The site plan included a minimum 30‑foot buffer between commercial development and adjoining residential lots; staff noted the city’s nuisance ordinance and quiet‑hours provisions (10 p.m. to 6 a.m.) would provide remedies if a business created excessive noise.

Vice Chair Jacob Miller moved to approve the future land‑use amendment; Commissioner Ken Ravinsky seconded. The commission voted in favor and then subsequently approved a motion to rezone 1109 S. Taylor St. to C‑1 as recommended. Chair Lisa Hanson said both items will be considered by the City Council on Dec. 2.

The rezoning to C‑1 would allow a range of neighborhood commercial uses but would exclude heavier auto‑oriented businesses such as drive‑throughs and gas stations. Although the applicant described a laundromat as the proposed use, staff reminded commissioners that a commercial designation permits a variety of uses, and that site‑plan review and any required permits would determine details such as landscaping, buffering and operational conditions.

If City Council approves the request, the property owner would next pursue final site plan and permitting steps required by the city’s municipal code.