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Waukesha council approves 219‑unit Delafield Street rezoning over neighbor objections
Summary
The Waukesha Common Council on Nov. 19 approved rezoning roughly 5.2 acres at 130 Delafield Street to allow a 219‑unit two‑building apartment PUD, despite neighbors’ protests about traffic, height, and parking shortfalls; the measure passed 12–3.
The Waukesha Common Council voted 12–3 on Nov. 19 to rezone about 5.2 acres of city‑owned land at 130 Delafield Street to an RM‑3 Planned Unit Development, clearing the way for a two‑building, 219‑unit apartment project.
Doug, a community development presenter, told the council the proposal would place 113 units in the north building and 106 in the south building, yield a site density of about 41.74 units per acre, and provide 292 parking spaces (roughly 1.33 spaces per unit). He described grading and access plans, two garage entrances, peak‑hour vehicle movement estimates and said the plan commission recommended approval. He also said the project will remove roughly 110 trees, which the city forester characterized mostly as invasive species, and that the developer seeks several PUD reliefs for setbacks and height.
Neighbors and property owners urged the council to delay or reject the rezoning. "Mandel makes mistakes. They continue to make mistakes," said Chris Nestingen Palm, a nearby resident, arguing the developer’s past projects had safety and design flaws. Another speaker, who filed a formal protest with the city clerk, said the project exceeds zoning height limits by more than 20 feet, is about 2.67 times denser than the underlying zoning allows, and lacks the parking and off‑street loading required by code. That commenter also said the traffic counts used in the developer’s study were taken during atypical conditions (a water‑main break and a major storm) and asked the council for a new study.
Council members debated the project’s trade‑offs. Alderman Eric Payne said neighbors had raised persistent concerns about driveway placement and sightlines on the steep Madison Street corridor and urged additional study and traffic review. Other members, including Alderman Rick Lemke and Alderman Hevinsleben, supported the rezoning, saying comparable projects had not produced the traffic problems opponents predicted and that the city needs more housing near downtown. "I think it brings a lot of value to Waukesha," Lemke said.
The council ultimately approved the rezoning, allowing the developer to pursue detailed site and building permits under the PUD standards. The action does not itself authorize construction; subsequent administrative reviews, building permits and any required permits will follow.
Authorities and next steps: the plan commission recommended approval; staff said the developer intends to begin construction in the next construction season if approvals proceed. The council recorded the final vote as 12 in favor and 3 opposed. The formal protest filed with the city clerk does not legally block action but is part of the administrative record. The developer and staff will move to finalize site plans and permits following the rezoning approval.
