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Neighbors urge Verona council to reject rezoning of Bacchus property for 260-unit development
Summary
Multiple nearby homeowners told the Verona Common Council the Bacchus (Backus) property should remain single‑family because of repeated flooding, loss of buffers and safety concerns; speakers urged the council to honor the city’s comprehensive plan and resist amending it for multifamily unless a compelling public interest is shown.
Homeowners who live next to the parcel known in council materials as the Bacchus (sometimes typed Backus) property urged the Verona Common Council on Monday to block a proposal to amend the city’s comprehensive plan and rezone the land for a roughly 260‑unit multifamily development.
Melanie Hunt, who said she and her husband bought their home at 2803 North County Road M in 2017, described repeated flooding and construction damage since the site’s development began. “Our first flooding was July 13,” Hunt said, recounting multiple incidents through 2019, a $15,000 regrading she paid to redirect water off her lot, and the loss of trees that once buffered noise and runoff. Hunt said the proposed project would put buildings just 15 feet from her property line and increase traffic and safety risks for her household and the adjacent bike path.
Neighbors framed the rezoning as a high‑stakes test of whether the city will follow the existing comprehensive plan. Scott Side, whose property adjoins the Bacchus site, reminded the council that a prior council adopted a residential‑phasing policy (targeting 35–50 multifamily approvals per year) and said that currently approved and proposed projects in Verona and nearby amount to roughly 2,100 units, a figure he said should counsel restraint. “Comprehensive plans are created for a reason,” Side said, adding that the Bacchus site has long been identified by local consultants as most suitable for single‑family housing.
Dana Berry, who said she inspected listings for 34 apartment and townhome properties, told the council she found about 261 available units out of an estimated 4,044 — a roughly 6.5% vacancy rate — and that many properties are offering one to two months’ free rent. Berry said those numbers suggest the market may already be well supplied and urged the council to weigh which types of housing (single‑family vs. multifamily) best fit remaining developable land in Verona.
Council members did not take final action on rezoning at Monday’s meeting. Several members said they have heard concerns about both housing supply and neighborhood impacts and signaled the issue will receive further attention. The matter remains on the council’s work plan and could return for formal review as staff compiles additional data and neighborhood engagement.
