Commission gives conceptual approval to 42‑unit Northtown Partners apartment plan; unit‑count variance discussed
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Summary
The commission granted conceptual approval for a proposed 42‑unit, four‑story apartment building on 1.3 acres, while several commissioners urged keeping the project to the site’s 37‑unit zoning allowance and flagged the need for a variance justification and possible traffic review during civil plan review.
The Port Washington Plan Commission gave conceptual approval to a proposed 42‑unit market‑rate apartment building on roughly 1.3 acres on the north side of East 7 Hills Road (Northtown Partners LLC is the applicant). Staff described the parcel history (previous commercial zoning, rezoned to multifamily in late 2024), building massing, materials and design review feedback; staff recommended conceptual approval while noting the site is currently zoned for 37 units and the applicant may seek a variance to allow 42 units.
A developer representative (Speaker 9) said the 42‑unit layout reflects economies of scale driven by construction costs, lack of TIF for the site and financing pressures, and acknowledged the project team had not yet prepared a formal hardship case for a variance. "Getting a multifamily real estate development project to work is difficult in today's environment between building costs and... interest rates," the representative said.
Commissioners pressed the team on unit count and variance standards. Speaker 5 said he would prefer the project remain at 37 units when possible and warned that routinely approving unit‑count variances could set a precedent. Commissioners also asked whether the proposal would trigger a traffic impact study; the developer said traffic counts and a study could be added as part of civil site review if necessary.
The commission motioned and approved conceptual acceptance of the staff recommendation by voice vote, with comments urging more design refinement to break up any monolithic massing and a suggestion to aim for the site’s 37‑unit allowance where feasible. The developer estimated breaking ground in April (pending approvals) and a roughly 11–12 month construction timeline to begin leasing in 2027.
