Committee Approves East Side Apartment Project Despite Complaints

After nearly three hours of debate, a zoning change to enable a new apartment building on a vacant lot near Downer Avenue was given a unanimous endorsement by the Common Council’s Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development Committee.

It was the final of three public hearings the 55-unit building was expected to face. The full Common Council is expected to review the project on Sept. 20, but without public comment. A lawsuit by project opponents has already been filed and dropped.

Developer Michael DeMichele is proposing the building as part of a multi-faceted project with the neighboring St. Mark’s Episcopal Church. DeMichele would purchase the lot from the church in exchange for replacing a 1940s addition to the 111-year-old church, 2604-2644 N. Hackett Ave.

A zoning change is necessary to enable that number of units, but not the height or size of the four-story building.

Project opponents, many of whom live in condominiums across the street, have repeatedly raised concerns about the perceived impacts to street parking, traffic property values and the loss of green space. DeMichele has countered that the 69 underground parking spaces are more than sufficient and he expects to have excess space to lease out. The church is to replace its small parking lot with leased space in the underutilizing parking structure a block to the south.

The City Plan Commission unanimously recommended approval of the zoning change in August, but asked that the Department of Public Works (DPW) work with a consultant to complete a traffic study for the block. “Basically [the consultant’s] findings match what conclusions DPW came to originally,” said DPW civil engineer Dawn Schmidt on Tuesday.

Larraine McNamara-McGraw, a former alderwoman and project opponent, previously accused city staff of withholding information, claimed city officials were violating due process and said she should be recognized as the active alderwoman given the seat’s current vacancy. On Tuesday she focused most of her comments on the project’s perceived lack of affordability and diversity. She said the zoning change would “destroy the neighborhood” and encourage other nearby organizations to sell their property.

Other project opponents objected to what they said was a lack of public input in the process, while testifying at the third multi-hour public hearing on the issue.

Alderman-in-waiting Jonathan Brostoff, the only candidate on the November ballot, said the project is “truly a win, win, win, win, win situation.” He said it would improve public safety by having more people monitoring the street, increase the number of patrons for area businesses, create more accessible housing units for those with disabilities, support the long-term financial sustainability of the church and increase the city’s property tax base. “It’s something that is in a lot of ways a slam dunk.”

Brostoff said it was a good sign that DeMichele hired well-regarded architect Jim Shields of HGA to design the building. All three live near the proposed building.

“In conclusion, this is an amazing project,” said Brostoff.

The meeting had a moment of levity when project opponent Mark Plotkin introduced a large, scale model. Plotkin, who said he hadn’t made such a thing since architecture school several decades ago, used the model to highlight his concerns with the color of the brick proposed for the rear of the building, the H-shape of the building and the configuration of the street.

In addition to the nearly two-dozen people that spoke in person, several dozen letters were submitted both for and against the proposal.

“I think you are going to find all of these doomsday scenarios being laid out are going to be proven to not be factual,” said Julie Penman, a former Department of City Development commissioner who lives two blocks from the proposed development. Her testimony drew objections from project opponents because she did not identify that her husband, communications consultant Jeff Bentoff, was working with DeMichele on the project.

Church board president Brooke Frizzell appeared virtually in support of the project. She criticized project opponents for being critical of the fact that the new building would be filled with renters, while submitting letters in support of owner-occupied housing. “Renters are just as much a part of our community as property owners,” said Frizzell.

Alderman Robert Bauman motioned to approve the zoning change after the public hearing concluded.

“We have received all of the information,” said Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic. “We are listening. We hear. When you have to make these decisions you have to balance things.”

JLA Architects is supporting the design of the housing portion. Catalyst Construction would serve as the general contractor. Three Leaf Partners, the development firm led by Milwaukee Bucks guard Pat Connaughton, is also a partner on the development.

The Historic Preservation Commission met Monday to review an update to the proposed church parish hall replacement. Shields told the commission that the pavilion structure next to the rooftop deck was being scrapped because of cost concerns, but the pavilion could be built at a future date.

Renderings and Site Plan

Photos