Plan commission flags parking shortfall for proposed indoor racket-sports facility at 6190 West Lewis Road

The Village of Greendale Plan Commission reviewed a preliminary site plan for a proposed indoor racket-sports facility and second-floor office at 6190 West Lewis Road and raised substantial concerns about parking adequacy.

Staff said the applicant’s parking and operations narrative estimates a maximum of 22 active recreation users plus two staff during evening hours (24 people) and up to seven daytime office employees, and that the proposed site plan provides 24 parking spaces, including one ADA stall. The presentation noted outstanding items for a final site plan: a full landscape and lighting plan, a final site plan tied to floodplain considerations and any required off-street loading or parking adjustments.

Commissioners focused on likely peak demand. Several members said eight pickleball courts shown on the plan could equate to far more users than the applicant’s 22-person estimate if courts are used for doubles or stacked scheduling. Commissioners also flagged session overlap — where one group is leaving and another arriving — as a key driver of transient congestion. One commissioner suggested staggering start times and other operational controls to limit simultaneous arrivals.

Physical constraints at the site further complicate options. Commissioners and staff discussed a floodplain and steep grade at the rear of the parcel that the applicant noted would make adding four or five spaces expensive (commissioners estimated $200,000–$300,000 to grade and add a handful of stalls). Staff said obtaining an additional curb cut on Lumis/Lewis Road would be difficult because the county controls access, and noted an existing shared-access agreement with a neighbor for the property’s driveway.

Because on-site expansion appears limited, commissioners urged the applicant to present a concrete plan before seeking final approval: refine and document an operating plan with capacity limits and start-time stagger; secure an off-site parking agreement with a neighboring lot (examples discussed included the nearby Sendex property, a church lot near Brickman Field, or other commercial partners); or revise the building footprint to allow more parking if feasible. Staff recorded the commission’s feedback and indicated no formal action was taken at this meeting.

Commissioners said they favored keeping the project in town but emphasized that a workable, enforceable parking strategy or additional stalls must be demonstrated before the plan commission would move forward with final approval.