The La Crosse City Plan Commission met on Monday, March 2, 2026, at 4:00 PM in Council Chambers. Nine commissioners were present. The meeting covered three rezoning and subdivision items and an update on the zoning code project. Commissioner Elaine Yager recused herself from items 3 and 4.
The meeting adjourned at 4:42 PM.
All right. Good afternoon, evening, everyone. We'll get this meeting uh started. Call and meeting to order at four o'clock PM on March 2nd, 2026. Uh all commissioners are present. Is Siamas online? Okay. Yes, I am. Thank you. All right, thank you. Let the rector reflect that uh Commissioner Siamas is joining us virtually. First start with the approval of the minutes of February 12th. Uh motion to approve the minutes made by Commissioner Yeager. Is there a second? Second by Councilmember Stein. Uh any discussion or corrections. All right, CNN, please signify by saying aye for approval. Any opposed? Any abstentions? CNN, that motion is approved. Moving to our first agenda item 260133. An ordinance to amend subsection one fifteen-one ten of the code of ordinance of the city of Lacrosse by transferring certain property from the single family residence district to the special residence district, allowing for three rental units, one duplex and a single family unit at 1402 and 14 San Gillette Street and 15 excuse me, 1552 Loomis Street. Uh staff. Thank you, Mayor. Uh this property is located on Gillette and Loomas Street on the north side. Um the applicant is requesting a rezoning from our one single family to our three special residence district. So there is currently a duplex and an accessory structure with a dwelling unit and attached garage on this property. Um the dwelling unit on the accessory structure was added around 2018, and no permits were obtained to add the dwelling to the accessory structure. Um but the property has since been sold to a new property owner. Uh prior to the dwelling unit in the accessory structure, their property was legal non-conforming with a duplex on the property. And now is non-conforming. An inspection recently verified the violation of code with two principal structures on one lot. So this rezoning is one of the steps needed to bring this property into compliance. But the property would also need to connect to submit plans to connect the two structures, so there's only one principal structure on a lot and receive a setback variance from the Board of Zoning Appeals. So with that, staff recommends a 60-day referral so the applicant can first submit a variance request to the Board of Zoning Appeals. Thank you. Any questions from commissioners? Councilmember Truss. I what I would say at this time is it's hard to definitively say yes because we haven't seen what's being proposed yet. But one thing that we have presented to the neighborhoods and the commission was this concept of taking lots and allowing them these corner lots and allowing them to be split into two lots. Um particularly on the north side, which is this is a prime example of one thing that our consultants had suggested we do on the north side. And so potentially we are looking at allowing for smaller lot sizes that would allow for the corner lots like this to be split. Doesn't mean there might not be some other challenges associated with that, but particularly with util private utilities having to be separated, but the short answers would be this is something that has been seriously being considered as part of the update, but it's hard to say yes, it will address it will be approved because we don't know that yet. Thank you. Any other questions? I have a question, Mr. Mayor. Uh I'd like to ask staff again. Are there design standards? Because this looks like a cement block building that's painted that's directly on a sidewalk.