Oak Creek council approves land‑use changes to allow Heyday Oak Creek Phase 2 after public questions about traffic and landscaping
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Summary
The Common Council approved a series of measures — comp‑plan change, PUD amendment, rezonings, official‑map and a certified survey map — to allow Heyday Oak Creek Phase 2 (77 units). Neighbors raised traffic, sightline and landscaping concerns; the developer offered to work on a landscape plan and environmental protections remain conditions of approval.
The Oak Creek Common Council on March 17 approved a package of land‑use changes to allow Heyday Oak Creek Phase 2, a 77‑unit expansion of the existing Heyday development on the city’s south side.
Christie Lane, the city’s community development director, told the council the applications included a comprehensive‑plan amendment (changing two parcels at 2301 and 2321 West Pewds Road from single‑family detached to single‑family attached), an amendment to the existing Planned Unit Development overlay to extend Phase 1 to Phase 2, rezoning to make parcel zoning consistent, and an official‑map amendment to remove planned public roads inside Phase 2. Lane said Phase 2 would add 10 single‑story buildings and three two‑story buildings and that the combined project would total 207 units across roughly 65 acres.
During the public hearings resident Adam King, of 2315 West Vista Bella, told the council he was concerned about a proposed new road cut opposite his house, the potential for increased traffic from the additional units, and visibility into his home. “I’m not happy about that cut where that road’s going… the traffic has gotta go up significantly,” King said.
Assistant City Administrator and City Engineer Matt Sullivan responded that the development’s traffic‑impact analysis estimates roughly 100 vehicle trips split across two entrances and that engineering sees no level‑of‑service concerns; he said the developer proposes a roundabout as the primary access and a secondary access off Pewds. Sullivan described a 40/60 traffic split favoring the new entrance and said the street layout aims to avoid offset intersections for safety.
HayDay representatives told the council they are willing to work with neighbors on landscaping and sight‑line mitigation. Ryan Swengruber, a HayDay representative, said the team would bring enhanced landscape plans to a forthcoming site‑plan review and noted the developer has used fencing and plantings to shield adjacent properties in Phase 1. Josh Walreich said a Phase I environmental assessment for the corner parcel is on file and can be shared with the city.
Council members pressed staff about wetlands and environmental corridors flagged on the certified survey map (CSM); Christie Lane said those areas would be avoided and noted a condition that the CSM will not be recorded until a development agreement is signed and the county council approves any required land‑swap and compensatory terms tied to tree‑preservation commitments.
Each application was called and voted on individually. The council approved the comprehensive‑plan amendment, the PUD amendment (which adjusts the maximum number of buildings and units to account for Phase 2), the rezoning to RD districts for specified parcels, the official‑map amendment removing public‑road stubs that would not be constructed in Phase 2, and the CSM combining parcels for Phase 2 with the recorded condition that the CSM is contingent on a development agreement.
The council’s approvals set the zoning and map changes required for the developer to advance site packaging and a formal development agreement; specific site‑plan details, drainage work and the landscaping plan will return to the Planning Commission and city staff for further review.
