Plan commission approves training tower and cold storage for future West Bend Fire Station No. 1

The West Bend Plan Commission voted Jan. 6 to approve site plans for two accessory buildings at the future Fire Station No. 1 at 2145 W. Washington St.

Planning staff presented the proposal for a 6,624-square-foot cold storage building and a 16,000-square-foot training tower, saying the site is on a 13-acre parcel zoned I-1, the stormwater plan has been approved, parking and landscaping are included, and staff recommended approval of the architectural materials with no additional conditions.

"The accessory buildings themselves will be a 42 by 72 cold storage building… and the training tower is directly south of that which is a 22 by 72 building," planning staff said during the presentation. Staff described the training tower as slate-gray metal panels with bronze door trim; the cold storage was described as a metal building with a black roof and a desert/beige-colored panel.

Gustafsson, the applicant representative, told the commission the design goal is to make the new structures look as close to the main building as possible. Commissioners raised a packet typo that listed a much larger square footage; staff confirmed that was a typographical error and reiterated the 6,624-square-foot cold storage figure.

A commissioner asked about color coordination between the tower and the storage building; planning staff suggested viewing completed examples and confirmed that final color selections could be refined before construction. No additional permit conditions were requested at the meeting.

A motion to approve the site plan was made and seconded; after the color discussion, commissioners voted in favor and the motion carried. The approval covers the architectural materials and the accessory buildings as presented. The commission did not provide a construction schedule at the meeting.