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Plan Commission approves Smart Trust survey, rezoning and final site plan despite engineering concerns about T intersection
Summary
The Plan Commission unanimously approved a certified survey map, rezoning from temporary to a mix of institutional and single-family residential, and a final site plan for the Country Crest Lane development north of Summit Avenue. Planning staff and the applicant supported a T intersection; city engineering had recommended a through-street for safety and maintenance reasons.
The Waukesha City Plan Commission unanimously approved three linked items for the Country Crest Lane project — a certified survey map, a rezoning recommendation to the Common Council and a final site plan — after a multi-hour presentation and public comment.
Planner Robin presented the proposal to create approximately 9.78 acres out of the Smart Trust property, with roughly 7.76 acres rezoned to I-1 Institutional for a ProHealthcare campus and 2.02 acres to single-family residential (RS). The project includes two stormwater basins, infiltration systems and a future public road alignment that would extend to Coldwater Creek. Planning staff and the applicant supported a T intersection at the north end of Country Crest Lane to separate residential and institutional access, discourage cut-through traffic and provide traffic calming.
Engineering staff, represented by civil engineer Josh Meyerhoffer of MSA Professional Services, opposed the T intersection. Meyerhoffer said the design could confuse driver expectations by directing through traffic onto a private lot and noted steep topography that may approach the city's 8% slope limit; he recommended continuing Country Crest North as a through street with a conventional driveway for the ProHealthcare campus to reduce maintenance burden and avoid establishing a potentially problematic precedent for T intersections with a private leg.
Developer representatives, including David Smart of the Smart Trust and traffic consultant Alan Peters, said they and earlier staff encouraged the T alignment in 2020, that a recorded construction easement and sewer alignment were installed consistent with the prior plan, and that a traffic study projects a large share of trips (about 37%) will serve the ProHealthcare campus rather than future residential lots. ProHealthcare representatives urged the commission to honor the prior alignment, saying the campus design and future contracts rely on the T intersection.
Chair Joan Frank Hoare and multiple commissioners said safety and traffic calming were key considerations. Commissioners spoke in support of approving the CSM, rezoning and site plan while noting the commission did not intend to set a wider precedent; public works and engineering will review stop-sign placement and traffic controls as the project moves toward construction. The commission approved the CSM and rezoning unanimously, then approved the final site plan with staff comments to be addressed and the T intersection as proposed.
Next steps: the rezoning recommendation will go to the Common Council; engineering and public works will provide final review of stop-sign placement and any maintenance agreements before permits and construction proceed.
