Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Development Updates topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Plan Commission receives project updates: Ridgeview, CubeSmart sidewalk plan, Dollar General status and remediation timeline
Summary
Staff updated the commission on construction at Ridgeview Estates and Maple Grove, CubeSmart’s required removal of pavement and planned sidewalk work (sidewalk along Janesville Avenue planned for 2026), an earlier Dollar General Market contract that did not proceed, expired permits for McGee’s chicken, limited activity at the Blackhawk Hotel, work on a vacant-property registry, and a remediation plan for two industrial parcels submitted to the DNR with an expected vacancy restriction until 2028.
At its December 9 meeting, the Fort Atkinson Plan Commission received several project updates from staff covering housing, commercial projects and remediation sites.
Staff reported photographs and construction progress at Hawthorne and Trillium in the Ridgeview Estates subdivision, including framing in a townhome building and activity on the third floor of an apartment building. Two single-family homes are under construction under permit and a third permit has been issued. Two additional houses are under construction in the Maple Grove subdivision.
Staff described the CubeSmart planned-unit-development requirement to remove paved surface in the front of the property and to install sidewalk along Janesville Avenue. Sidewalk installation is scheduled for 2026 if the out-lots remain unsold; staff said one out-lot had been under contract for a Dollar General Market project that later did not move forward. Commissioners and staff discussed curb-cut locations and queuing concerns; staff and a staff member identified as Jed said the development agreement calls for closing one curb cut and preserving the Janesville Avenue entrance to maintain throat length and avoid queuing problems.
On other commercial items, staff said the McGee’s chicken project appears unlikely to move forward and any previously issued permits would have expired; the Blackhawk Hotel had only short-term activity such as a dumpster permit. Commissioners noted downtown storefronts had been decorated for the holidays; staff said the city is working on a vacant-property registry intended to encourage occupancy and support downtown businesses.
Commissioners asked about two remediation parcels north of 4th Street in the industrial fringe (the Alarmen site and an adjacent parcel). Staff said a consultant has submitted a draft remediation plan to the Department of Natural Resources for review; the sites must remain vacant until 2028, prior grant funds have been spent, and the city expects remediation support could come from TID 10 if development is attracted. The timeline and duration of remediation depend on the eventual use and DNR review outcomes.
The commission closed the meeting and adjourned at 4:19 p.m.
