Village of Waukesha approves amended site plan and new façades for Midwest Drilled Foundations

The Village of Waukesha’s Joint Plan Commission and Village Board on Dec. 11 approved an amended site plan and revised building architecture for Midwest Drilled Foundations and Engineering, a contractor business on property owned by Sunset Bypass LLC (tax key WAKT1327998001).

Planner Sean summarized the application and told the boards the original site plan, approved in February 2023, showed an office of roughly 8,320 square feet (about 9,760 square feet under roof) and a 11,300‑square‑foot shop. The newly proposed first phase would start with a 5,600‑square‑foot office with space reserved for a future 4,000‑square‑foot expansion and a shop of about 15,581 square feet. Sean said hours of operation remain Monday–Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and that the overall impervious surface on the site would not change. He read engineering comments noting the stormwater pond must be completed and stabilized before additional building permits are issued and that a previously obtained Waukesha County stormwater permit and a DOT driveway approval remain active, with copies of both to be supplied to staff.

Architect Steve Schoffer of Sketchworks Architecture and petitioner Jean Sheedy, who identified herself as the owner, described changes in materials and appearance. The new elevations use vertical metal panels, architectural panel accents, blue face block at the base and steel awnings; petitioner said the design includes synthetic wood accent panels intended to recall elements of the originally approved building and that the redesign reflected budget and appraisal considerations. Several commissioners said the elevation drawings supplied with the packet had mislabeled cardinal directions (north/south/east/west) and asked the applicant to correct and resubmit the drawings so staff and the public can clearly identify which façade faces the highway.

Commissioner Joel moved to approve the amendment request with the elevation and staff conditions noted in the meeting; Rob seconded the motion. The Planning Commission voted in favor. The Village Board then moved to accept the Planning Commission’s approval; the board vote carried 4–1. The boards required that the contractor storage sheds match the approved architectural metal color and that the applicant provide corrected elevation drawings and copies of the county stormwater and DOT permits prior to final permit issuance.

The applicant said construction could begin as soon as the zoning permit is issued and that it expects to start site work promptly; Sean noted the zoning permit could be issued within a day or two if the site plan is approved but that a building permit requires the stormwater work to be completed. The petitioner and planner agreed to submit corrected drawings and final design updates to village staff for recordation.

What happens next: staff will require the corrected elevation drawings and permit copies requested in the motion before issuing further permits; the site plan and conditions will remain on record with the Village of Waukesha planning office.