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Neighbors and commissioners push developer to redesign proposed 118‑unit Summit Avenue senior housing project
Summary
Developers presented a conceptual 118‑unit senior housing and memory care project for Summit Avenue; residents raised traffic, wetlands and tree‑loss concerns while several commissioners said the current 4‑story layout adjacent to backyards is unacceptable and urged the developer to meet the neighborhood and consider reorientation and reduced massing.
Developers and city staff presented a conceptual plan for a 118‑unit senior housing and memory care facility on Summit Avenue during the Waukesha City Plan Commission meeting on July 24.
The project as shown includes a one‑story memory care wing and a four‑story apartment portion totaling 118 units (29 memory care; 39 one‑bedroom; 31 one‑bedroom plus den; 16 two‑bedroom), underground parking to the south and a loop drive with a potential secondary/emergency egress to Banning Way. Presenter Doug (staff) said the property is zoned I‑1 institutional and that senior housing is a permitted use.
Residents who spoke at the hearing raised multiple concerns. “I bought my home August 18 or 19 of two years ago … to learn today that my property may be taken from me is scary,” said Leslie Feninger (434 Madison St.), who asked for more notice and clearer explanations of the plan’s implications for homeowners. Other residents highlighted traffic congestion on Summit Avenue, loss of mature woodland and wildlife habitat, potential wetland impacts, safety for children and memory care residents, and that an earlier mailed notice reportedly said “11” units instead of 118.
Commissioners said the item was a consultation and no action was requested, but several urged major design changes before a formal application. “From a gut check … I think it’s a bad idea. It’s too large. It’s the wrong development for this site,” Commissioner Montiel said, calling for reduced massing and better screening. Commissioner Keller suggested rotating the building so the four‑story portion faces Summit Avenue rather than the backyards; Commissioner Wells and others recommended pulling the building away from property lines and preserving mature hardwoods where possible.
Staff told the commission that stormwater design and a wetland delineation remain pending and would be reviewed later, and that the city will require DNR review of any new wetland delineation. Commissioners requested a neighborhood meeting and additional materials — parking ratios, traffic impact analysis, wetland delineation and mitigation plans, and revised architecture that reduces perceived massing adjacent to single‑family homes — before returning the proposal for formal review.
The commission closed the public comment period but did not vote on the proposal; staff and the developer were advised to hold a neighborhood meeting and to submit revised plans that address the traffic, wetlands, tree screening and design concerns raised.
What’s next: the developer and staff were asked to organize a neighborhood meeting and to return with additional engineering (stormwater/wetland) documentation, traffic/parking details and alternative site configurations that attempt to reduce the building massing along the residential rear yards.
