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Council approves campus-district and congregate-living zoning changes to ease large institutional development
Summary
Council approved a package of zoning text amendments to create a campus district (for institutions such as colleges and hospitals), a new R‑3S congregate-living residential district, related summary-chart updates and definitions to facilitate institutional and dormitory-style development.
The Watertown City Council approved multiple zoning-text amendments designed to streamline future institutional developments, including a new "campus district" and an R‑3S congregate-living residential district.
Community Development Manager Brandy Hinton said the campus district responds to the comprehensive land use plan and will allow large institutional or educational and medical facilities (example: Lake Area Technical College or the hospital) to rezone into a single campus district. The campus district requires a minimum of 10 acres per property, Hinton said. The accompanying R‑3S district adds a regulated option for higher-density, dormitory-type housing and creates incentives such as parking-under-roof for multifamily projects.
Councilmembers noted the package had already been vetted by the planning commission, which recommended unanimous approval, and council approved the second readings and related chart and definition changes. Councilman Hoyer praised the measures as "outside the box thinking" that could help the university and other potential uses in the future.
The amendments will be codified in chapter 21 (districts) and chapter 21.90 (definitions) and are intended to facilitate orderly institutional development while setting parcel-size, setback and parking requirements.
