Plan Commission recommends denial of MUA rezoning for Lacrone/Tribeca site, asks applicant to resubmit as PUD

The Middleton Plan Commission on Oct. 28 voted to recommend denial of a proposed rezoning to MUA for the Lacrone (Tribeca) site, concluding the submittal did not provide sufficient assurance of the mixed‑use commercial elements the commission and staff expect for that corridor.

Applicant Fernando described a prior PUD submission and asked for procedural clarity after staff advised MUA. Planning staff (Abby) said early feedback had urged a commercial component consistent with prior Tribeca Village vision and that the application as submitted resembled MUA rather than a PUD. "If you are strictly building multifamily and are unwilling to change, I don't think that this proposal would justify a PUD zoning," Abby said in a summary of staff comments.

Commissioners expressed concern that rezoning to MUA without a requirement for commercial space would allow a development that is exclusively multifamily, contrary to the corridor’s mixed‑use objectives. "If we give them MUA, they could do the project without any commercial," one commissioner said. After discussion, a motion to accept the staff findings of fact and recommend the common council deny the MUA rezoning request passed.

Staff advised the applicant to incorporate the commission's feedback and resubmit as a PUD with specified land uses, and recommended a concept review to solicit nonbinding feedback before investing in full plans. The commission’s recommendation to deny will be sent to the common council as an advisory finding; the council will take the final action if the applicant pursues the rezoning again.

What’s next: Applicant invited to prepare a revised PUD application and concept review; the commission’s denial recommendation will accompany the package to the common council.