Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Ymca Pud topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Shorewood board approves YMCA PUD despite trustee objections over rooftop screening
Summary
The Shorewood Village Board approved a planned-unit development and site plan for a 58,409-square-foot YMCA at 1801 W. Jefferson on Oct. 8, 2024, after a split vote on how to screen rooftop mechanical equipment. Trustees agreed to a berm-and-fence approach and a commitment to dim exterior lights at night.
The Village of Shorewood on Oct. 8 approved a planned-unit development, conditional-use permit for a health and fitness center, and site plan for a new YMCA at 1801 West Jefferson.
Planning staff presented a 58,409-square-foot facility with playfields, a six-foot-wide walking path and potential future additions. Planning staff said the YMCA's design includes parking on the east and south sides, a fenced playground, and a dry-bottom retention pond that will also serve recreation needs.
Natalie, planning staff, told the board the YMCA had worked with village staff on landscaping and lighting, and that staff recommended approval. "They have provided photometrics to prove that their lighting will meet the village standard," she said, describing measures intended to prevent light spill onto adjacent properties.
The central dispute focused on screening rooftop mechanical equipment visible from nearby Walnut Trails residences. The YMCA proposed to place a six-foot berm topped by a seven-foot vinyl privacy fence and plantings along the top to block sightlines from the south. Trustee Luciano and Trustee Selfridge objected to relying on a fence rather than a parapet or mechanical screen; Luciano said he would "not vote for that" unless the mechanicals were entirely screened. Katie LeClaire, representing the YMCA, said the organization had tried to balance cost, aesthetics and resident concerns and offered to add dimming controls to exterior lighting.
In roll call, the board approved the motion 4–3, with Trustees Amos, Brockman, Chapman and Mayor Cole voting yes and Trustees Luciano, Selfridge and Carroll voting no. The motion included the dimming-of-lights commitment and carried forward the proposed berm-and-fence screening as the preferred mitigation.
The approval was a first-read ordinance with the board waiving a second reading; staff noted construction would be delayed about two weeks to accommodate the board's procedural timeline. The YMCA said it will continue coordinating with village staff on transformer screening and final landscaping details before construction proceeds.
The next procedural step is final ordinance language and, where necessary, attorney review of any code exceptions tied to the PUD.
