Plan commission approves Uptown 4 redevelopment plan, commissioners debate condemnation language

The Kenosha City Plan Commission on Aug. 7 approved a package of actions adopting the Uptown 4 redevelopment plan and related land-use updates covering properties roughly between 60th and 63rd streets and 13th/14th to 26th avenues.

Taylor Jones, a planning staff member who presented the plan, said the area is home to about “1,500 people with immediate household income of about $27,000,” and described goals to encourage development on vacant land, promote commercial development along 22nd Avenue and connect homeowners with city repair grants and loans. Jones said acquisitions by the redevelopment authority would be “from willing sellers” and that the full plan is in the commission packet.

The plan commission heard detailed questions about the blight survey and redevelopment tools. A commissioner noted the survey identified 208 structures, with 41 judged substandard, and pressed whether the plan would tie the redevelopment authority’s hands on condemnation. Jones and other staff said condemnation remains a legal possibility but is not the intention of the redevelopment authority’s stated acquisition approach. “I’m uncomfortable with a plan that says we can't use all the tools in the toolkit,” one commissioner said during debate.

On design and development standards, staff described guidelines that would emphasize street-visible entrances, discourage parking between façades and sidewalks in some places, and target new construction on city- or redevelopment-authority-owned lots toward single-unit homes under the city’s home-promotion program. Commissioners asked about maximum multifamily density; staff said the existing ordinance generally limits multifamily to 12 units per acre unless a neighborhood plan specifies otherwise.

Commissioners also asked whether new projects would be subject to staff-level review or come before the commission. Staff said private developments that align with existing zoning and land use can proceed through standard permitting; proposals requiring rezoning or land-use changes would return to the plan commission and ultimately the common council.

After discussion, the commission approved the resolution amending the comprehensive plan, the zoning ordinance change, the redevelopment plan adoption and the boundary designation by voice vote. Members praised the staff and redevelopment authority for public outreach and urged timely follow-through on enforcement and implementation steps.

The commission will forward the plan and ordinance recommendation and any necessary zoning items to the common council as required by local process.