Plan commission approves relocated Waukesha County food pantry with restricted client hours, signage and site conditions

The Waukesha Plan Commission voted unanimously Dec. 17 to approve a conditional use permit and final site plan for a Waukesha County food pantry to operate at 1705 South Prairie Avenue, in an M2 General Manufacturing district. The approvals included conditions intended to reduce neighborhood traffic impacts and improve pedestrian access and wayfinding.

Staff described the proposal as a conversion and renovation of an existing industrial building for nonprofit warehouse, storage and distribution operations. The application included a new client entrance on the east side of the building, new parking areas, sidewalks connecting to the client entrance, and interior waiting space. Architect Ben Mather said the interior waiting room can accommodate about 20 clients and the new site provides substantial parking to reduce on‑street parking demand.

Lindsey Johnson, executive director for the food pantry, described typical distribution volumes: "It's typically about 80 individuals that are coming through and shopping, and then it's about another 20 individuals that are coming through, what we consider express…we have somewhere around 100 to 110 folks that are coming through during that time period," she said. She also confirmed the pantry receives occasional semi‑truck deliveries, including a weekly milk delivery and occasional larger drop‑offs from Feeding America.

Neighbors and the district alder raised concerns about traffic, walkability and school pick‑up congestion adjacent to Prairie Elementary School. Alderman Mannion (District 7) said the proposed location abuts residential neighborhoods and a school and urged the commission to require distribution hours that limit overlap with peak school pickup and to secure parking/wayfinding that keeps clients away from neighborhood streets.

To address those concerns, the commission approved the conditional use with these principal conditions: the client visiting hours during the school year shall be 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. (applicants may change summer hours but would need commission approval for a permanent change), staff review and approval of signage to direct clients to the correct lot and reduce neighborhood spillover, and a sidewalk extended to the west side of the client driveway. The commission also approved the final site plan and architectural review subject to staff comments, with the applicant required to work with staff on making the entry more obvious to clientele.

Commissioners noted that if the pantry later requests different hours of operation, it must return to the commission for approval; that requirement was part of the conditional use motion. The motion and final site plan carried unanimously.