City plan commission approves Family Matters counseling space at Legacy Lofts on North Avenue

The Milwaukee City Plan Commission voted to approve a substitute ordinance amending the detailed plan development for Legacy Lofts, allowing a social service facility to occupy the 2,000-square-foot ground-floor commercial space at 1536–1540 West North Avenue.

Staff planning analyst Kristen Connolly told commissioners the site was rezoned in 2016 to a detailed plan development that allowed redevelopment of the former Blommer Ice Cream building and construction of a four-story mixed-use building with 64 residential units and ground-floor commercial space. Connolly said staff identified Family Matters as the prospective tenant and recommended approval, describing the proposed counseling and parent-support services as a low-impact use that aligns with the Fond du Lac/North area plan’s guidance for social services on commercial corridors.

"The great news is that they've identified a new tenant for the space, which has been identified as a social service use," Connolly said, adding that the use is comparable in intensity to an office when limited in hours and capacity. Staff said typical on-site client load would be four to five people at a time and that the plan would set a maximum capacity of 15 people.

April Bentley, founder and director of Ruby and the creator of Family Matters, told the commission Family Matters would support parents of youth who have experienced trafficking or who are at high risk. "Family matters would focus more so on the support that they need," Bentley said, describing the program as a mix of counseling, tools for caregivers and clinician-led support.

Therese Caro of Legacy Redevelopment Corporation said Legacy partnered with Evergreen Real Estate to provide sustainable, affordable housing on North Avenue and that placing Family Matters in the ground-floor space would benefit residents and the surrounding neighborhood. Caro said 10 of the 64 units are market-rate and that the property has low vacancy rates.

Commissioners asked whether permitting the social service use for this site would allow future similar tenants to occupy the space without returning to the commission; Connolly said the amendment would allow social service facility uses that meet the plan’s terms, while higher-intensity uses such as a school would still require a separate amendment. Staff also described the site as transit served and noted that the proposed hours of operation would be limited (the meeting record shows the hours as "11AM to 7PM, Monday through Bridal," which has been recorded here as 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; the record contains a likely transcription error for the final weekday).

After public testimony from Bentley and a statement of support from Legacy Redevelopment, the commission moved, seconded and approved the substitute ordinance on a roll call vote. Commissioners Allison Nemec, Katrina Crane, Tariq Moody, Jesus Gonzales and Renell Washington voted in favor; the measure passed.

The commission had no further business and adjourned the meeting. The amendment allows Family Matters and other qualifying social service facility tenants to occupy the specified ground-floor space under the terms described by staff.