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Board approves rezoning and conditional CSM to allow two Habitat for Humanity starter homes on donated hospital land
Summary
The Village of Baldwin approved rezoning 650 10th Avenue from R3 to R1M and a conditional Certified Survey Map for two starter homes donated by Western Wisconsin Health; approvals include conditions on street‑frontage variance, driveway agreement, signature lines, a privacy fence and that the village not be responsible for water and sewer connections.
The Village of Baldwin board approved rezoning 650 10th Avenue from R3 (limited multifamily) to R1M (single‑family, medium density) and recommended approval of a conditional Certified Survey Map to allow two starter homes by South Valley Habitat for Humanity on land donated by Western Wisconsin Health.
At the meeting Habitat representatives said the hospital donated the lot north of Quick Trip to increase affordable housing in the region. Christie Smith of South Valley Habitat for Humanity described the organization’s mission and the need for starter homes. Mia Kaiser, chief financial officer at Western Wisconsin Health, said the hospital donated the land to support community health and housing and emphasized the link between housing and health. Dave Christensen, construction supervisor for Habitat, outlined site constraints and asked the board to be flexible on a privacy fence requirement, saying a fence placed on the northern boundary would encroach on an already tight 66‑foot lot.
The board’s approval included several explicit conditions: (1) CSM approval contingent on a variance for street frontage; (2) the CSM must include signature lines for the village and county treasurers and note there are no unpaid taxes or special assessments; (3) any driveway agreement must be reviewed and approved by the village attorney; (4) a privacy fence is required on the northern border but its placement (on the neighbor’s property line or entirely on the Habitat lots) is to be determined with the affected neighbor; and (5) the village is not responsible for water and sewer connections. Board members and Habitat representatives reiterated that additional stipulations and “hoops” remain, including engineering, driveway and utility work and an estimated $30,000 of site work the nonprofit expects to invest before building.
Board discussion addressed practical issues such as driveway easements, snow removal responsibility, turning radii for vehicles, lot dimensions, the option of building one larger house versus two smaller starter homes, and the community benefit of housing for local workers (police, fire, EMS, teachers). The planning commission previously recommended the rezoning and attached stipulations (privacy fence, driveway agreement, variance for frontage and required signatures) were read into the record and carried forward. The board approved the rezoning and the conditional CSM motion after public discussion and a roll‑call/voice vote.
The item is not a final building permit. Habitat must secure the required variance, finalize the CSM with attorney‑reviewed driveway language and complete engineering and utility work before building can proceed. The board noted alternative sites and costs were discussed; members said they expect Habitat to return with finalized documents and evidence of compliance with the stated conditions.
Evidence for this account comes from the planning commission summaries and direct remarks by Habitat representatives during the board meeting. The village’s motion to approve the rezoning and the conditional CSM was carried by the board; specifics of individual roll call votes were not read into the record in full during the public discussion.
