Impact of West Area Plan on District 19

Impact of Area Plans: 

Area plans adopted by the Common Council amend the Comprehensive Plan. Municipal comprehensive plans are recognized by Wisconsin statutes as conferring a degree of legitimacy on future actions recommended in a comprehensive plan. Nothing recommended in an area or comprehensive plan is ever assured of implementation but are more likely to happen.

The West Area Plan was approved by the Common Council on Tuesday, September 10. Here is a list of the major changes in the Comprehensive Plan that specifically impact District 19.

Generalized Future Land Use (GFLU): 

There are four changes affecting District 19.

• The property occupied by St. Thomas Acquinas Church south of Old Sauk Road and east of Gammon Road was changed from LMR (low to medium residential) to MR (medium residential) which would accommodate greater density should the Church ever wish to explore the possibility.
• Possible density in the partially undeveloped parcels between High Point Road and the Beltline north of Old Sauk Road was increased. Historically the owners of these parcels such as Dean have not been interested in developing the properties.
• The GFLU for the several large single-family parcels just north of Old Sauk Road and between Appalachian Court and the Brittingham House properties was changed from LR (low residential) to LMR (low-medium residential). At this time, there is no indication that the owners intend to develop the properties or sell them.
• Possible density along Craig Avenue was reduced from HR (high residential) to LR (low residential) to indicate the desire to preserve the naturally occurring affordable housing in the area.

Pro-active Re-zoning: 

There was only one area for which the Plan contemplates pro-active re-zoning.

• This is several parcels between Odana Road and the Beltline just west of Whitney Way. Zoning would change from CC-T to CC to indicate that it is not an area appropriate for residential development.

Transportation: 

There are three transportation related changes

• Possible streets are indicated for the area just north of Old Sauk Road and between Appalachian Court and Brittingham House. As noted above this is the area with a new GFLU of LMR. There would be no reason to build these streets except to accommodate a redevelopment of those properties.
• The Plan shows a possible removal of the barrier which prevents a connection from Yosemite Way to Old Sauk Road. Some histories indicate the barrier was added when teenagers became fond of launching their cars over a hump in the road and occasionally ending up in Old Sauk Road. There are no immediate plans to remove the barrier.
• Bike lane separations along High Point Road and Gammon Road north of Old Sauk Road are shown as possibilities.
• A shared use path along the Wexford Pond Greenway between Old Sauk Road and High Point Road is shown as a possibility.