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Developer previews mixed‑use project with grocer, gym and apartments in Bayside
Summary
At a March 3 prepetition conference, Rinka architect Buck Knitt and Cobalt Partners’ Scott Yauck outlined a mixed‑use building at Parcel 022‑9990‑022 that would include a fitness club, full‑service grocer and apartments; commissioners and staff requested an updated traffic study and raised parking, stormwater and connectivity concerns.
A developer unveiled plans for a mixed‑use building that would combine a fitness club, a full‑service grocery store and residential apartments at Parcel 022‑9990‑022 in Bayside during a March 3 prepetition conference with the Village’s Plan Commission and Architectural Review Committee.
Buck Knitt, an architect with Rinka, and Scott Yauck, president of Cobalt Partners, described the site plan, proposed uses, parking and circulation, and preliminary material choices. Knitt said sidewalks are planned to improve walkability. Yauck said the team envisions two types of planted roofs — one as a planted, inaccessible green roof and another intended as a courtyard space accessible to apartment residents.
The project team told commissioners they will complete an updated traffic study. Yauck said the developer believes the existing signal at Grace Street and Port Washington Road will be adequate, but that will be confirmed by a new traffic analysis; he also said leasing demand appears strong, noting the nearby Symphony Apartments are about 95% leased, and estimated construction would take roughly 21 months after tenants are secured.
Commissioners and staff flagged several operational and design concerns. Commissioner Roger Arteaga‑Derenne questioned the design of a proposed southeast intersection. Chairperson Eido Walny asked whether an adjacent unincorporated triangle could be acquired to expand the intersection; Yauck said the team is working with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation on acquiring that parcel.
Police Chief Gina Kleeba raised concerns about parking spaces along Grace Street on the southeast side of the property and how that configuration could affect safety. Village Planner Jackie Mich identified multiple issues she said should be addressed before a formal filing: the location of parking along Grace Street, traffic flow through the site, the southeast intersection, the south‑side drop‑off area, stormwater and the desire for more green space and improved connectivity between buildings and surface parking. Village Engineer Emily Basalla also called attention to the south‑side drop‑off area as a potential design problem.
Chairperson Walny asked the development team about delivery‑truck timing and frequency. Commissioner Tom Houck asked whether adding a grocer and fitness center would increase public‑safety calls; Village Manager Andy Pederson said staff has reviewed experiences in other North Shore communities and Mequon to estimate likely call volumes but did not provide data at the prepetition conference.
A Bayside resident, Besty Smith, spoke during public comment and said she was concerned that expanded impermeable surfaces could worsen stormwater runoff and that additional traffic exiting to Port Washington Road would increase congestion and safety risks.
The prepetition conference is an early step for the project to receive feedback before a formal submittal; Village Manager Pederson reviewed the future meeting schedule the developer will follow once they file an application. The committee adjourned at 5:56 p.m.
Next steps: the development team is expected to submit a formal application accompanied by an updated traffic study, after which the Plan Commission and Architectural Review Committee will conduct formal review and public hearings as required by village procedures.
