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Record of Proceedings

Altoona Plan Commission Meeting - May 13, 2025

Meeting Portal — Tuesday, May 13, 2025
BodyAltoona, Wisconsin
SessionMeeting Portal
DateTuesday, May 13, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 52:52

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

0:00

Go ahead and call the Plan Commission meeting of Tuesday, May 13th, 2025 to order.

0:05

We have roll call.

Speaker 2

0:09

Mayor Brendan Pratt.

Speaker 1

0:11

Here.

Speaker 2

0:11

Plan Commission member Sue Roll.

0:13

Here.

0:14

Nicholas Haug.

Speaker 3

0:15

Here.

Speaker 2

0:15

Dean Roth.

0:16

Matthew Bieron.

Speaker 3

0:17

Here.

Speaker 2

0:18

Bill Hepner.

Speaker 3

0:18

Present.

Speaker 2

0:19

We have absent Ben Traxel.

0:21

We also have present uh planning director Taylor Greenwell, City Engineer Christian Hupert, Lieutenant Scott Kelly, and Cindy Bauer, City Clerk.

0:32

We have a quorum.

Speaker 1

0:33

All right.

0:34

Citizen participation period.

0:35

If there's anybody you'd like to speak

Unassigned speaker

0:37

to

Speaker 1

0:37

them about anything that's not on the agenda.

Speaker 4

0:41

Seeing none, Bernal move to closes and participation period.

0:44

Hapner was a good.

Unassigned speaker

0:45

Okay,

Speaker 1

0:46

we have a motion and a second.

0:47

All in favor say aye.

Speaker 4

0:48

Aye.

Speaker 1

0:49

I opposed.

0:50

Motion carries.

0:52

All right.

0:52

Discuss consider approval minutes of the April 8th, 2025 regular plan commission meeting and the April 22nd, 2025 Special Plan Commission meeting.

Unassigned speaker

1:02

Do

Speaker 5

1:02

we have to do them separate or can we do them both?

1:04

Uh roll moves approval of the minutes from April 8th, 2025 regular plan commission meeting and April 2725 special plan commission meeting.

1:12

Roth

Speaker 6

1:13

will second.

Speaker 1

1:13

Okay.

1:14

We have a motion and a second.

1:15

All in favor say aye.

Speaker 5

1:16

Aye.

Speaker 4

1:17

Opposed.

1:18

Motion carries.

Unassigned speaker

1:20

All

Speaker 1

1:20

right.

1:20

New business number one public hearing at 5 30 p.m.

1:23

or as soon thereafter as possible to discuss a conditional use permit for an eight-foot fence spanning 211 Division Street and 1320 Lynn Avenue, 1312 Living Live Lynn Avenue and 1304 Lynn Avenue.

Speaker 7

1:40

Yeah, thank you, Your Honor.

1:42

So we actually made we sent out like an amendment to uh the CUP um staff report.

1:48

Um basically we were adjusting the parameters of where the fence was going to be as far as how far it went out.

1:54

But uh yeah, this is unusual.

1:55

So it's it were staff is bringing um an appeal for a conditional use permit um for an eight-foot fence along basically where the container park would be.

2:04

The intent is to essentially shield the residential property that is over there from um the commercial and business activity that's going to be on site.

2:13

Um so the current use of this property right now is vacant, soon to be commercial and uh commercial restaurant and mixed um uh like recreation, so live performances.

2:25

And the plan commission is the land use authority for conditional use permits.

2:29

So um it's pretty straightforward.

2:31

This is where the fence would be located.

2:32

Uh obviously this is overseeing the container park.

2:35

Um, and again, the the real goal is to basically enclose the existing um privately owned residential property from um that basically from the activity on that site.

2:47

Uh the ordinance uh states that um the plan commission can allow a higher than six-foot fence um as long for on the basis of aesthetic and security reasons, which that's basically what that that's that's the reasoning behind this.

3:02

That's why we're petitioning to have that done.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Zoning Ordinances███████████████████████23%
Affordable Housing██████████████████18%
Real Estate Development████████████████16%
Procedural█████████████13%
Active Transportation████████8%
Transportation Safety██████6%
Energy Infrastructure████4%
Disability Rights███3%
Water And Wastewater Management███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Altoona Plan Commission Meeting - May 13, 2025

The Altoona Plan Commission met on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at 4:30 PM in the Council Chambers at Altoona City Hall. Mayor Brendan Pratt chaired the meeting, with members Sue Roll, Nicholas Haug, Dean Roth, Matthew Bieron, and Bill Hepner present; Ben Traxel was absent. Planning Director Taylor Greenwell, City Engineer Christian Hupert, Lieutenant Scott Kelly, and City Clerk Cindy Bauer also attended. The commission considered a conditional use permit for an 8-foot fence, a recommendation to amend the city's fence code, and a site plan for a multifamily development in Whitetail Woods.

Consent Calendar

  • The minutes of the April 8, 2025 Regular Plan Commission Meeting and the April 22, 2025 Special Plan Commission Meeting were approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No members of the public spoke during the Citizens Participation Period or the public hearing.

Discussion Items

1. Conditional Use Permit for an 8-Foot Fence (211 Division Street, 1320 Lynn Ave, 1312 Lynn Ave, 1304 Lynn Ave)

  • Planning Director Taylor Greenwell presented the application for a conditional use permit (CUP) to erect an 8-foot fence along the boundary between the future container park and adjacent residential properties. The purpose is to shield residences from commercial and recreational activity. The permit criteria were met, and staff recommended approval with two conditions: the fence shall be 8 feet in height and shall comply with Altoona Fence Code requirements.
  • Commission members discussed the fence's extent. The applicant clarified that the current plan calls for 235 feet of 6-foot white vinyl fence, but they requested flexibility to extend the 8-foot section from the post office corner to the residential property corner to create a continuous barrier. The commission expressed no objection to this broader scope, as all adjacent property owners were notified. The public hearing was closed, and a motion to approve the CUP carried unanimously.

2. Recommendation to Amend Section 19.56.070 (Fences and Walls)

  • Taylor Greenwell introduced a petition to amend the municipal code to allow permanent fencing on cleared, vacant properties (currently prohibited), to permit chain-link fencing in front yards (currently allowed only in backyards), and to grant the Plan Commission authority to approve fencing on side and front yards in industrial districts. The changes were prompted by the need to screen vacant lots along Lynn Avenue for the container park program. The Plan Commission's role is to provide a recommendation to the City Council, which will hold a public hearing on May 22, 2025.
  • A motion to recommend the amendment to the City Council passed unanimously.

3. Site Plan Approval for Lot 4 of Whitetail Woods, Phase 1

  • Greenwell presented the site plan for Lot 4, a 3.4-acre parcel zoned R3 (multiple-family dwelling). The proposal includes five single-story apartment buildings with a total of 30 units (two-bedroom, two-bath, 1,200–1,211 sq. ft. each). Each unit has a single-car garage with extra storage and a full-length driveway. The development includes 30 garage stalls, 30 driveway stalls, and seven additional community parking stalls, exceeding the ordinance requirement of 60 stalls. The buildings are 18.5 feet high (max allowable 45 feet), meet all setback requirements, and use simulated siding materials (LP siding, board and batten, masonry, vinyl shake) that require commission approval. Environmental review was completed during the platting process; a small wetland was permitted for fill by the City Council and DNR.
  • The developer (representatives from the project team) answered questions, noting units are designed for aging in place (zero-threshold entries), with solar-powered streetlights under consideration for the private drive. They emphasized the project targets empty nesters and offers a rental alternative to large apartment buildings. Staff recommended approval with standard conditions.
  • A motion to approve the site plan as conditioned carried unanimously.

Key Outcomes

  • Conditional Use Permit: Approved unanimously for the 8-foot fence at 211 Division Street and adjoining properties, with conditions to comply with fence code.
  • Fence Code Amendment: Unanimously recommended to the City Council for adoption, with the public hearing scheduled for May 22, 2025.
  • Site Plan Approval: Unanimously approved for Lot 4 of Whitetail Woods, Phase 1, subject to staff conditions.

Meeting Transcript

Go ahead and call the Plan Commission meeting of Tuesday, May 13th, 2025 to order. We have roll call. Mayor Brendan Pratt. Here. Plan Commission member Sue Roll. Here. Nicholas Haug. Here. Dean Roth. Matthew Bieron. Here. Bill Hepner. Present. We have absent Ben Traxel. We also have present uh planning director Taylor Greenwell, City Engineer Christian Hupert, Lieutenant Scott Kelly, and Cindy Bauer, City Clerk. We have a quorum. All right. Citizen participation period. If there's anybody you'd like to speak to them about anything that's not on the agenda. Seeing none, Bernal move to closes and participation period. Hapner was a good. Okay, we have a motion and a second. All in favor say aye. Aye. I opposed. Motion carries. All right. Discuss consider approval minutes of the April 8th, 2025 regular plan commission meeting and the April 22nd, 2025 Special Plan Commission meeting. Do we have to do them separate or can we do them both? Uh roll moves approval of the minutes from April 8th, 2025 regular plan commission meeting and April 2725 special plan commission meeting. Roth will second. Okay. We have a motion and a second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed. Motion carries. All right. New business number one public hearing at 5 30 p.m. or as soon thereafter as possible to discuss a conditional use permit for an eight-foot fence spanning 211 Division Street and 1320 Lynn Avenue, 1312 Living Live Lynn Avenue and 1304 Lynn Avenue. Yeah, thank you, Your Honor. So we actually made we sent out like an amendment to uh the CUP um staff report. Um basically we were adjusting the parameters of where the fence was going to be as far as how far it went out. But uh yeah, this is unusual.

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