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Concept review held for Hawthorne Hill Farm wedding venue; applicants told rezoning and plan amendment would be needed
Summary
Applicants presented plans to convert an existing barn and house into a low-capacity, upscale wedding and events venue (marketing for about 150 guests, estimated parking for ~75). Staff said formal applications would require rezoning, a comprehensive plan amendment and a land division to combine properties.
Applicants Joel Ladua and partners presented a conceptual review to the New Berlin Planning Commission for Hawthorne Hill Farm, a proposed luxury wedding and events venue that would convert an existing barn and adjacent residence into an indoor/outdoor event space.
Joel Ladua described the team’s vision as an elegant, professionally landscaped venue with a covered pavilion, limited music inside, no on-site kitchen and partnerships with local caterers. “We have this dream to build Hawthorne Hill Farm,” Ladua said, stating the project aims for curated, smaller weddings rather than large outdoor concerts. He said they plan to market for about 150 guests but estimated parking for roughly 75 vehicles on the site and indicated they may rely on nearby hotels for shuttle drop-offs.
Architectural renderings shown to the commission include plans to remove part of an existing residence, beautify the historic barn, reduce the existing loft area to create more volume inside, and add restrooms and a pavilion. The applicants said they want to preserve historic barn elements and reintroduce features such as existing windows that are currently bricked over.
Staff (Kelly) and an accompanying slide deck explained the property currently includes two parcels—barn property zoned B2 and an adjacent house zoned R3—and noted that moving the proposal forward would require formal applications for rezoning, a comprehensive plan amendment, a land division to combine parcels and a subsequent conditional-use or site plan review. Staff also noted that liquor licensing would be handled separately through the clerk’s office.
Commissioners and staff treated the presentation as concept review only; no formal vote was required or taken tonight. Architecture review comments about site layout and materials were discussed, and applicants were encouraged to return with formal applications if they wish to proceed.
If the applicants file formal applications, the project will proceed through standard public notice and review steps for rezoning and plan amendment, at which point the commission would hold additional public hearings.
