Platteville residents urge overlay protections as council previews Western Avenue annexation

Platteville residents and the city’s planning staff spent the bulk of the July 22 Common Council meeting debating a proposed annexation and preliminary plat for about 11.5 acres on the west side of Western Avenue across from Westview Elementary School.

Joe Carroll, the city planner, told the council the application requests annexation contingent on R2 zoning for six new lots ranging from about 1.5 to 2.5 acres, with access from Western Avenue, and that a final plat and developer’s agreement would be required before any building permits are issued. "The request is to designate the property for R2," Carroll said, describing the applicant’s plan to divide the parcel into six building lots and to connect each lot to city utilities where feasible.

Neighborhood speakers made a sustained appeal for the council to add the city’s Residential Limited Occupancy overlay (RLO) to any annexation. "We are supportive of R2 zoning, but only with RLO added," said Jean Weber, who said residents collected signatures and presented a map showing roughly 125 properties in the overlay near Westview. Weber and other commenters said the overlay’s tighter limit on unrelated occupants (two unrelated people in the overlay, vs. up to four elsewhere) helps keep the area family‑friendly and reduces traffic and late‑night disruptions.

Multiple neighbors cited the city’s housing assessment and comprehensive plan in urging single‑family development or overlay protection. "If these lots are R2 without an overlay, we object to this annexation," Weber said. Connor Strumlaw, a homeowner who lives south of the proposed lots, said his family chose the neighborhood for its quiet, child‑friendly character and urged the council to favor single‑family outcomes or require RLO.

The developer’s representative told the council the typical utility approach would be a low‑pressure force main with individual grinder pumps for lots where gravity sewer is infeasible, and that restrictive covenants are planned to set minimum building sizes and materials. The developer said the likely sales strategy is to sell individual lots rather than retain and manage rental properties. "It’s going to be a lot sold," the applicant’s representative said.

Council members and staff clarified that covenants and zoning operate differently: covenants can restrict appearances and some uses but are private contract instruments, while zoning (and an overlay) is a regulatory tool enforceable by the city. City staff also noted that erosion‑control and runoff measures must meet City of Platteville rules and Wisconsin DNR standards prior to development.

The council president scheduled a formal public hearing on the annexation for the next meeting on Aug. 12, giving residents and the applicant a two‑week window to seek compromise. "This will come back to the council as a public hearing," the president said. The hearing will include another presentation and an opportunity for supporters and opponents to speak.

Next steps: the council will hear the annexation and zoning request as a public hearing on Aug. 12; if the council approves annexation and zoning, a final plat, development agreement and any required sample covenants will be reviewed before any building permits are issued.