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Plan Commission approves reuse of historic building as EMS transfer station; neighbor praises preservation
Summary
Commission recommended approval to convert a vacant building near the Thetaare hospital into a single‑vehicle EMS station for inter‑facility transfers; applicant said it will not be used for 911 operations, the neighborhood celebrated adaptive reuse, and the commission voted 7‑0.
The City of Oshkosh Plan Commission on March 17 recommended approval of a specific implementation plan amendment to convert an existing early‑20th‑century building at 356 West 6th Avenue into a single‑vehicle EMS station to serve inter‑facility transfers.
Staff described the site as a vacant building at the northeast corner of Iowa Street and West 6th Avenue within the larger Thetaare hospital campus. The applicant, Nick Romanesco of Cross Ambulance, told the commission the facility will be used for non‑emergency inter‑facility transports for Theda area hospitals (transcript: "Thetaare") including transfers for Thetaare, Mercy Medical Center and Fond du Lac, and that it will not be a 911 response base. Romanesco said the operation is expected to handle up to three calls per day and that historical data indicate roughly 96% of those transports occur without lights and sirens.
Neighbor Paul Valdi, who identified himself as chair of the Historic 6th Ward Neighborhood Association and a resident at 416 West 5th Avenue, urged preserving the building and said the structure appears on a 1922 Sanborn map. Valdi said neighbors welcome the plan to repair and reuse the building and noted concerns had been raised about past break‑ins; he praised the adaptive reuse.
Commission discussion included parking and access (staff said ambulance access will be from the existing driveway on Iowa Street and that employees can park on site or use hospital parking), and a community question about whether former gas‑station underground tanks remain on site. Staff did not provide a definitive answer on tank removal during the hearing; a commissioner offered to share additional information with the neighbor after the meeting.
The commission voted unanimously on a motion to recommend approval (roll call recorded as 7‑0). The decision advances required permits and building‑permit reviews; staff noted exterior improvements (roof, gutters, doors, windows and matching brick infill) will proceed through standard building permits and that final site details will be addressed in subsequent reviews.
What happens next: the recommendation moves forward and building‑permit and site‑plan details (including any required environmental or tank remediation documentation) will be required before the ambulance station opens.
