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Planning Commission recommends land-use change for Social House expansion, approves parking agreement
Summary
The Menomonee Falls Planning Commission on July 8 recommended changing a parcel’s future land-use designation from institutional to commercial to allow Social House to expand parking and courts, approved a parking agreement and signaled that fencing and detailed site design will be decided by the Architectural Control Board.
The Menomonee Falls Planning Commission on July 8 recommended that the Village Board amend the comprehensive plan to reclassify a portion of land at N48W18700 Lisbon Road from institutional to commercial so the Social House can expand parking and add recreational courts.
Planner Amy Bennett told commissioners the applicant proposes to acquire just under 27,000 square feet from Zion Lutheran Church to expand parking, add a sport court and a turf space, and asked the commission to recommend the land-use change to the Village Board. “The public hearing this evening is just on the comprehensive plan amendment and a recommendation to the Village Board,” Bennett said, adding that rezoning and detailed site-plan matters will return after Architectural Control Board (ACB) review.
Neighbor Walt Remondini, who lives north of the proposed acquisition, said he has been a nearby resident for 18 years and expressed support for the business while raising concerns about noise and site configuration. “Obviously, our main concern is … the sound level that we're concerned about especially with pickleball,” Remondini said, and asked about tree retention, fencing, and light-post heights. Bennett said the fixtures are expected to be about 15 to 17 feet tall and that the church prefers natural landscaping along its property line; staff and commissioners said the ACB will finalize fencing and planting details.
Commissioners discussed whether a fence or a berm with shrubs would better mitigate light and sound; several members said a northern fence adjacent to residences would be particularly important. Commissioners agreed that the ACB is the appropriate body to resolve fencing and landscape technicalities during site-plan review.
The commission also approved a parking agreement allowing the Social House to use parking on a separate parcel, subject to the applicant recording the agreement with the Waukesha County Register of Deeds. The motion to approve the parking agreement passed unanimously.
On the comprehensive-plan amendment and rezoning recommendation (to rezone the institutional parcel to C1 neighborhood business with a planned infill overlay to allow the parking expansion and related setback/height exceptions), the commission voted to recommend the change to the Village Board. Bennett said the formal public hearing for rezoning will be scheduled after the ACB issues its recommendation.
The commission’s actions on the Social House items were recommendations or approvals required for subsequent village-board or ACB actions; site-plan, fencing and other technical details will return to the ACB and the board for final decisions.
Votes at a glance
- Motion to amend and approve the meeting minutes (item 4): approved as amended (tally not specified in the record). - Parking agreement for Social House (item 6A): approved unanimously by the commission. - Recommendation to reclassify the parcel and recommend rezoning (item 7A): commission recommended unanimously to the Village Board.
What happens next
The rezoning and site-plan materials will be reviewed by the Architectural Control Board for fence and landscape decisions, then come back to the Village Board for final action. The parking agreement must be recorded with the county register of deeds as a condition of approval.
