Votes at a glance: Waukesha City Plan Commission approves conditional uses, sign appeals, code revisions and surplus property

The Waukesha City Plan Commission took formal actions on June 25, 2025 on several conditional use permits, site plans and code amendments. Below are the motions, outcomes and key conditions recorded in the meeting minutes and staff presentations.

Votes at a glance

- Conditional use permit — M & M Repair and Restoration, 1230 E. Broadway: Approved (motion to approve carried; vote recorded as in favor). Staff recommended approval with conditions including: customers must park in the designated spaces next to the garage and not in the alley; remove the concrete pad that extends into the five‑foot setback or obtain a variance from the Board of Zoning Appeals. The applicant, owner Mark McGeen, testified the business operates part time by appointment and has served neighborhood customers for decades.

- Conditional use permit — Lucidity Arts (tattoo studio), 1218 The Strand: Approved subject to staff recommendations. Staff noted the applicant had contacted the office about a possible withdrawal but the commission proceeded to hear the presentation and approved the conditional use permit with standard conditions (occupancy permit before operation; building permit or change‑of‑use review if alterations are made; applicable sign permits; conditional use is specific to Lucidity Arts).

- Conditional use permit and operational conditions — Fitness gym and trailer rental, 400 Southwest Avenue: Approved. Staff and the commission reviewed prior 2018 conditions and new conditions for the trailer rental operation, including: all engineering, fire and water utility comments addressed; trailers and vehicles parked only in designated spaces; no more than 25 rental trailers on site at one time; semi‑trailers to be removed by 08/01/2025; rentals limited to trailers only (no vehicle sales); trailers not to be used for business storage; no for‑sale displays or signs; outdoor equipment locked at night and stored along the northwest property line; storage container to be painted by 08/01/2025; all extra equipment to be removed by 08/01/2025. The commission noted the site has adequate maneuvering space and continued enforcement of earlier conditions.

- Sign appeal/variance — Tenney Woods Outlot 1 (neighborhood identification sign): Approved with conditions. Staff recommended approval of a stone base double‑sided pylon about 7 feet tall, set back a minimum of 10 feet from right of way per city code. During discussion the commission also required the applicant to stiffen the sign connections so the hanging sign does not swing excessively; the applicant (Ben, Veridian Homes) agreed to revise the attachment method.

- Final site plan & architectural review — GE Healthcare Experience Center, 3000 N. Grandview Blvd.: Approved (motion carried; Commissioner Heather Granger abstained). The commission approved a roughly 20,000‑square‑foot one‑story addition and 10,000 square feet of interior renovation to create a 30,000‑square‑foot experience center. The action is subject to all city department comments and requires an engineering department concurrence letter before applying for a building permit.

- Municipal code revision recommendation — Section 17.1 (rooming house licensing): Plan Commission recommended approval to the Common Council. Staff described changes to streamline licensing and inspections: annual inspections with operators scheduling inspections by September 1; Community Development and Fire Department must file reports with the clerk before a license is issued; the clerk may deny a license and refer the matter to the Ordinance and License Committee; the draft adds a requirement that unit temperatures be maintained at no less than 67 degrees Fahrenheit. Commissioners asked staff to consult the city attorney about whether cooling requirements can be added; staff said cooling is not currently a code requirement.

- Surplus property declaration — 223 Southwest Avenue: Commission voted to declare the small water‑utility building and parcel surplus property; disposal method to be determined by the Common Council. Staff said the building is a small concrete storage structure adjacent to a railroad right‑of‑way and likely requires significant investment to be reused.

Meeting notes and procedure: Several items involved standard staff conditions (occupancy permits, sign permits, building permits) and follow ups (painting or removal deadlines, removal of semi‑trailers). Multiple motions were approved by voice vote during the meeting; specific roll‑call tallies were not recorded in the transcript for most items. Where a commissioner recorded an abstention, that is noted above (GE Healthcare addition).