Plan Commission approves Culver's permit and site plan, keeps Parmenter/Lisa intersection as-is with developer-guaranteed improvements

The Middleton Plan Commission on a special meeting voted to approve a conditional use permit and site plan for a Culver's restaurant at 3112 Parmenter Street and adopted a compromise on the traffic impact analysis for the Parmenter/Lisa Lane intersection.

Commissioners approved a motion, as amended, to leave the intersection in its current configuration for now but require Culver's to enter a city developer agreement providing security sufficient to implement "Alternative 1" (the median/pork‑chop option prohibiting certain left turns) if future traffic conditions warrant it; the amendment also requires the developer to fund a left‑turn stacking lane on Lisa Lane and reconfigure a curb bump‑out to allow a right turn from Lisa onto Parmenter. The amendment passed 4–1 and the final main motion passed 3–2.

The decision followed public testimony from both Culver's representatives and nearby business owners. Kyle Dumbleton, speaking for the developer team, said the new site provides "around a 2‑acre parcel" and about "70 stalls" to improve circulation and emergency access compared with the existing, tighter location. Culver's representative Kristie Hughes told commissioners the company has "been in this community for over 30 years" and said Culver's donated "over 35,000 back to the community of Middleton," adding her due‑diligence window expires in May and she requested the commission's assistance to advance the project.

Bill O'Connell, owner of O'Connell's Liquor across Parmenter, opposed intersection changes and argued Parmenter is "the least busy street" among nearby blocks, presenting counts and urging the commission to preserve current turning movements. "We feel this is a made‑up problem," O'Connell said, pressing commissioners to avoid removing left‑turn access that he said his business depends on.

City staff and the SRF traffic consultant framed the choices around the city's TIA guidelines and access management policy. City engineer Luke Melotik said the TIA analysis follows city guidelines and noted, "These are just recommendations." SRF consultant Noah Leonard warned that "anytime that we create another median opening, [it] opens up the opportunities for crashes," and described tradeoffs between geometric design and control for pedestrian crossings.

Commissioners debated safety tradeoffs — including pedestrian exposure for nearby schoolchildren — whether a traffic signal would be warranted, and practical compliance with signage versus physical barriers. Some commissioners expressed concern that the city's TIA guidance (adopted in 2005) gives limited weight to pedestrian and complete‑streets objectives; others emphasized following staff and consultant expertise. The commission directed staff to work the agreement terms to the satisfaction of the city attorney and city engineer and noted the Common Council will review TIA matters at its upcoming meeting.

The commission also approved Resolution 2026‑11, granting the conditional use permit for a drive‑through/in‑vehicle sales use in the mixed‑use urban district; and it recommended approval of the site plan subject to nine listed conditions including a lighting fixture adjustment to meet the updated ordinance and a Park, Recreation & Forestry committee requirement that the developer compensate the city $3,600 for the loss of two terrace street trees to be used for replanting vacant terrace sites.

What happens next: staff said the TIA outcomes and developer agreement will advance to the Common Council for further review and final decisions on whether and how to implement the recommended roadway improvements.