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Neighbor says proposed enclosed boathouse would dominate Pewaukee Lake shoreline; commission sends permit to council
Summary
The Plan Commission voted to forward a recommendation to the common council for a conditional use permit for a 294‑sq.‑ft., 15‑ft‑tall boathouse on Pewaukee Lake after a neighbor argued the enclosed design and placement create excessive shoreline massing and staff noted floodplain zoning conditions.
The Pewaukee Plan Commission voted to forward a recommendation to the common council for a conditional‑use permit to allow a new 294‑square‑foot, 15‑foot‑tall boathouse at a waterfront parcel on Pewaukee Lake.
Nick, a city staff member, said the proposed boathouse uses fiber‑cement siding and partially encroaches into the city’s floodplain; he told commissioners the proposal must comply with Section 207‑13b of the city’s floodplain zoning ordinance and outlined the construction and mitigation options the ordinance requires.
Kate Marlin, a nearby resident who spoke during public comment, urged the commission to withhold approval and said the applicant had not shown any alternative design or mitigation to reduce visual impacts. "The applicant has not demonstrated that the proposed orientation, massing, or enclosure minimize those impacts," Marlin said, arguing the structure’s width, enclosure and roof form would "create excessive massing at the shoreline" and contribute to cumulative shoreline obstruction.
The applicant, identified in the record as the property representative, said the boathouse meets the dimensional minimums and that the structure is limited in width (14 feet in discussion) and built to the allowed standards. Commissioners discussed precedent, noting the commission has previously approved larger boathouses, and several members said the commission’s role is to recommend to the elected common council, which will hold a public hearing and make the final decision.
After discussion a motion to forward the application to the common council for a public hearing and final decision carried. The commission’s recommendation does not finalize the permit; the common council will schedule a public hearing at which neighbors and the applicant can present evidence and the council will rule.
