Altoona Plan Commission Recommends Whitetail Woods Extension, December 10, 2024

The Altoona Plan Commission met on Tuesday, December 10, 2024, at 4:30 p.m. in Council Chambers at Altoona City Hall. Present were members Ben Traxel, Nicholas Hog, Dean Roth, Chairperson Matthew Buren, and Bill Hapner; Sue Rowe was absent, and Mayor Brendan Pratt recused himself. Staff present included Planning Director Taylor Greenwell and City Clerk Cindy Bauer (the raw transcript renders the surname “Bowers”). The commission unanimously approved the prior meeting minutes and voted to recommend approval of a six-month extension of the Whitetail Woods final plat approval deadline, forwarding the item to the Common Council.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the November 12, 2024, Plan Commission meeting minutes by unanimous voice vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

• During the citizens participation period, Charlene Lynham said community members were asking why the city would approve developments such as Whitetail Woods, Otter Creek Landing, and Lake Road Townhomes. She questioned annexation promises, multifamily zoning near existing development, removal of old oak trees and windbreaks, wetland mitigation, and city tree marking before the developer secured needed access to Nine Mile Creek Road, adding that some approved developments are not thriving.
• Speaking again on the Whitetail Woods item, Charlene Lynham opposed the extension. She said a previous developer walked away from the property years ago because traffic would have had to be funneled through Briar Cliff or Oak Crest, requiring turn lanes or roundabouts. She cited Eau Claire County Highway Commissioner John Johnson saying line of sight was the problem, noted that access near Julius Drive may require an updated traffic study, and urged denial so the density and building types could be reconsidered. She reminded members that some had voted against the preliminary plat because they wanted larger lots and homes.
• Kim Lynham (6780 Nine Mile Creek Road) said his family lives on property surrounded by Whitetail Woods; 40 acres were clear-cut, wind and dust increased, wildlife is gone, and DNR has raised concerns that runoff from a 50-foot-higher elevation could be diverted onto them. He said access has not been approved despite a long process, citing an August 6, 2024 statement by Mark Erickson of Everyday Surveying that an access request had been submitted only to learn it was submitted the next day, and a September 16, 2024 field meeting at which the developer was told there was no access. He called the development too dense and the access points unsafe and costly, suggested redrawing the plat with more sensible housing unit sizes, and said Grip had sent an email on February 2, 2022, to Mike Golat stating that extending full utilities and developing the area was not a good idea. He asked the commission to deny the extension.

Discussion Items

• Planning Director Taylor Greenwell explained that Whitetail Woods is a mixed residential development with single-family homes, twin homes, and multifamily units. The preliminary plat was approved July 11, 2024, and the final plat was submitted July 15, 2024. City ordinance generally requires final plat approval within six months of preliminary plat approval, and the applicant is seeking six additional months while working with the county to secure access to Nine Mile Creek Road, a county road. Greenwell said the extension is procedural, would not approve the final plat or permit construction, and staff recommended approval because conditions have not changed.
• In response to questions, Greenwell said access was not required earlier in the process, the current deadline expires January 11, 2025, and an extension would add six more months. If county access is not approved, the developer would likely need to redesign the access or restart the preliminary plat process. The city has participated in discussions, but the county must grant access; sight-line issues involve trees in the county right-of-way, which the city would generally clear if it owned the road.
• Commissioner Bill Hapner stated he personally thought the project was too dense and preferred larger-lot homes, but he considered the extension a procedural step and moved to approve it. The motion was seconded. New commissioner Nicholas Hog said he had heard both frustrations and excitement about the development and was taking it all in.

Key Outcomes

• Unanimously approved the November 12, 2024, meeting minutes.
• Unanimously recommended approval of the Whitetail Woods final plat deadline extension to the Common Council. The recommendation, if approved by the council, would add six months to the current January 11, 2025 deadline. The Common Council is scheduled to consider the item on December 19, 2024.
• Adjourned by unanimous voice vote.