Rome Town Center Sub-Committee Meeting — Agenda packet

AGENDA ROME TOWN CENTER SUB-COMMITTEE MEETING THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2026 3:00 P.M. ROME MUNICIPAL BUILDING 1156 Alpine Drive Nekoosa, WI 54457 1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Certify Posting of Meeting 4. Approve the Agenda 5. Citizen Comments – During the Citizen Comment period of the agenda the Rome Town Center Design Plan Sub-Committee welcomes comments from any town resident, not a member of the Sub- Committee, on any item not on the agenda. Please know that pursuant to State law the Sub-Committee cannot engage in conversation with you but may ask questions. The Sub-Committee may refer the item to staff, a standing committee or a future agenda for discussion and action. Each person wishing to speak will have up to 3 minutes to speak. Speakers are asked to submit an orange card to the Sub- Committee secretary providing their name, address and topic for discussion. The Sub-Committee will also take comment from the public on agenda items as called by the facilitator, but not during Citizen Comments. Please note that once the Sub-Committee begins discussion on an agenda item no further comment will be allowed from the public on that issue. DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE FOLLOWING ITEMS: 6. Discussion and possible action – Approval of the September 2, 2026 meeting minutes 7. Discussion and possible action – Rome Town Center Design Plan DATES AND ITEMS FOR FUTURE AGENDA/MEETINGS 8. Next agenda items 9. Next meeting date and time ADJOURNMENT “Speak Your Peace” Commitment – A reminder that the Town Board Members have adopted the Nine Tools of Civility which commits the Board Members and Public to be mindful of how we treat each other at meetings. Notification of this meeting has been posted in accordance with the Open Meeting Laws of the State of Wisconsin. The Community Development Authority Committee may take action on any item on the agenda. It is possible that the members of and possibly a quorum of members of other governmental bodies of the municipality may be in attendance at the above-stated meeting to gather information; no action will be taken by any governmental body at the above-stated meeting other than the Community Development Authority Committee. Please note that, upon reasonable notice, efforts will be made to accommodate the needs of disabled individuals through appropriate aids and services. For additional information or to request this service, contact Wendy Newsom, Town Clerk, at 1156 Alpine Drive, Nekoosa, WI 54457, ph. 715-325-8046. Positively applying the tools of government to serve and protect our people, strengthen our community and promote prosperity. Town of Rome Nekoosa, WI 54457 www.romewi.gov Town of Rome Nekoosa, WI 54457 www.romewi.gov ROME TOWN CENTER SUB-COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2026 3:00 P.M. 1. Call to Order Chairwoman Tiffany Seavecki called the meeting to order at 3:00 p.m. 2. Roll Call Present: Chairwoman Tiffany Seavecki, William Kappel, Heather Dalton, Thomas Wright and Vito Giardino Absent: Michael Donigain and Thomas Gabriel Also present: Zoning Administrator, Emily Arndt 3. Certify Posting of Meeting Emily Arndt, Zoning Administrator certified that on, Thursday, August 27, 2026, the Agenda for the Town of Rome, Rome Town Center Sub-Committee meeting for Wednesday, September 2, 2026 was posted at: Posted at the Rome Town Hall 1:59 p.m. Posted at Kwik Trip, LLC 2:05 p.m. Posted at Nekoosa Port Edwards State Bank 2:11 p.m. Emailed to the Wisconsin Rapids Tribune 2:30 p.m. 4. Approve the Agenda Motion by Dalton/Kappel to approve the agenda as presented. Motion carried. 5. Citizen Comments – During the Citizen Comment period of the agenda the Rome Town Center Design Plan Sub-Committee welcomes comments from any town resident, not a member of the Sub- Committee, on any item not on the agenda. Please know that pursuant to State law the Sub-Committee cannot engage in conversation with you but may ask questions. The Sub-Committee may refer the item to staff, a standing committee or a future agenda for discussion and action. Each person wishing to speak will have up to 3 minutes to speak. Speakers are asked to submit an orange card to the Sub- Committee secretary providing their name, address and topic for discussion. The Sub-Committee will also take comment from the public on agenda items as called by the facilitator, but not during Citizen Comments. Please note that once the Sub-Committee begins discussion on an agenda item no further comment will be allowed from the public on that issue. No citizen comments received. DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE FOLLOWING ITEMS: 6. Discussion and possible action – Approval of the August 5, 2026 meeting minutes Motion by Giardino/Wright to approve the August 5, 2026 meeting minutes as presented. Motion carried. 7. Discussion and possible action – Rome Town Center Design Plan Zoning Administrator, Emily Arndt gave an update on the revisions to the document. Discussion regarding a few minor changes to the plan. Full RTC Design Plan to come back next meeting for final approval and recommendation to Plan Commission. No action taken, item tabled until next meeting. 8. Discussion only – Comprehensive Plan Sub-Committee Update Update given by Zoning Administrator, Emily Arndt regarding the Comprehensive Plan Sub-Committee. The Sub-Committee is currently going through the Comprehensive Plan chapter by chapter with revisions and updating data. 9. Discussion only – Farmers Market Update Zoning Administrator, Emily Arndt gave an update regarding the potential parking lot in the Rome Town Center. Discussions have taken place with those in charge of the Farmers Market to hopefully reach a resolution with parking in the Rome Town Center. Discussion regarding emergency vehicles being able to enter the area numerous times without issue. The parking lot is being addressed at the Town Board level at this time. DATES AND ITEMS FOR FUTURE AGENDA/MEETINGS 10. Next agenda items ➢ Rome Town Center Design Plan ➢ Last meeting 11. Next meeting date and time Wednesday, October 7, 2026 - 3:00 p.m. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Giardino/Dalton to adjourn at 3:32p.m. Motion carried. Respectfully submitted, Taylor Owczynsky Taylor Owczynsky Deputy Clerk/Treasurer ROME TOWN CENTER | DRAFT Page 1 TOWN OF ROME, WISCONSIN Rome Town Center Design Plan Draft ROME TOWN CENTER | DRAFT Page 2 Contents • 1. Vision, Mission, and Commitments • 2. Planning Context and Community Priorities • 3. Town Center Framework • 4. Land Use and Development Pattern • 5. Public Realm, Mobility, and Access • 6. Buildings, Sites, and Landscape • 7. Resilience, Infrastructure, and Stewardship • 8. Sequencing and Implementation 1. Vision, Mission, and Commitments Vision Rome Town Center will be a vibrant, prosperous, and resilient heart of the community: a compact, welcoming place where residents and visitors can gather, live, work, shop, access services, and enjoy year-round recreation within a distinctly Northwoods setting. Mission The Town of Rome will balance new investment with support for existing businesses and local entrepreneurship. The Town will use its land, regulatory tools, partnerships, and public improvements to shape predictable, incremental development that serves year-round community needs and strengthens the local tax base. Community commitments • Be proactive. Establish the public framework, development expectations, and implementation sequence before individual projects determine the pattern. • Grow responsibly. Favor compact, mixed-use, fiscally sustainable development that respects nearby residents, natural systems, and community character. • Support year-round life. Expand access to everyday goods, fresh food, health and professional services, indoor and outdoor recreation, and community gathering space. • Broaden housing choice. Enable homes suited to older adults, workers, smaller households, families, and people seeking attainable ownership or rental options. • Create a complete public realm. Design streets, trails, parks, and civic spaces for people of all ages and abilities, including those arriving by foot, bicycle, mobility device, golf cart, ATV/UTV, snowmobile, transit or shuttle, and automobile. • Build resilience. Use native landscapes, green infrastructure, energy-efficient systems, durable materials, and infrastructure phasing that limits long-term public costs. • Welcome investment with clarity. Provide a predictable review pathway while reserving flexibility for high- quality proposals that advance the vision. ROME TOWN CENTER | DRAFT Page 3 2. Planning Context and Community Priorities The Town Center began as the Alpine Village Business Park and has evolved through adopted plans, design manuals, zoning amendments, implementation studies, and community engagement. The April 2025 25-Year Vision reframed the area as a mixed-use center organized around a town square, connected streets and trails, incremental development, and five near-term implementation moves. The June 2026 Updated Design Plan adds an economic mission, year-round community priorities, broader land-use direction, and detailed guidance for streetscapes, access, landscaping, lighting, signage, and low-impact development. Community Snapshot Indicator Current baseline Planning relevance / source Population 3,254 Wisconsin DOA January 1, 2025 estimate Median age 64.5 2020-2024 ACS estimate Residents age 65+ 48.1% 2020-2024 ACS estimate Housing units 3,223 2020-2024 ACS estimate Seasonal housing 46.6% Share of all housing units; 2020-2024 ACS Median household income $79,728 2020-2024 ACS estimate Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS five-year estimates; Wisconsin Department of Administration, Final Population Estimates, January 1, 2025. ACS estimates for a small community should be read as indicators of direction and scale. These conditions reinforce the need for accessible design, smaller and adaptable housing, dependable year- round services, workforce attraction, and an economy that serves both permanent residents and seasonal visitors. Resident-market profiles supplied by Visit Rome in February 2025 may remain useful for business recruitment, but they should be treated as proprietary market segments rather than official demographic statistics and refreshed periodically. 3. Town Center Framework Rome Town Center should function as the community’s mixed-use economic and civic core, not as a conventional single-purpose business park. Its identity should come from a recognizable public realm: the Town Square, connected parks and trails, comfortable streets, active building frontages, and a consistent Northwoods design vocabulary interpreted in a contemporary way. Organizing principles • Town Square as the civic heart. Concentrate community events, everyday gathering, public art, shade, seating, and active ground-floor uses around a flexible central space. ROME TOWN CENTER | DRAFT Page 4 • Connected, walkable blocks. Extend a fine-grained network of streets, alleys, sidewalks, and trails so short trips are direct and multiple routes are available. • Development that frames public space. Place buildings near streets and public spaces, with doors, windows, porches, storefronts, and outdoor activity facing the public realm. • Transitions at the edges. Use building scale, setbacks, landscaping, and lower-intensity housing to transition toward existing residential and natural areas. • Small increments, complete pieces. Each phase should add a usable street segment, public-space improvement, trail connection, or cluster of buildings rather than isolated pads. • Year-round programming. Design indoor and outdoor spaces for all seasons, including winter maintenance, snow storage, shade, shelter, lighting, power, and flexible event infrastructure. Illustrative vision The 2025 concept illustrates mixed-use development around the Town Square; residential neighborhoods west and south of the core; hotel, community, and park-support uses; connected open spaces; and an expanded trail and sidewalk network. These locations and building footprints are illustrative. Final alignments and capacities should respond to property control, wetlands and soils, utilities, access approvals, market conditions, and public priorities. 4. Land Use and Development Pattern Flexible mixed-use core A broad mix of mutually compatible uses should be permitted in and around the core, including shops, restaurants, lodging, offices, personal and professional services, health and wellness uses, civic and cultural facilities, recreation, entertainment, maker and small-production spaces, upper-story or freestanding housing, and parks. Performance standards should address impacts such as noise, lighting, loading, storage, traffic, and hours instead of separating compatible uses by default. Housing choice The Town Center should add housing types that are limited in the wider market: cottages and cottage courts, duplexes, townhouses, small multifamily buildings, upper-story homes, live-work units, accessible apartments, and age-restricted housing. New housing should connect safely to services and public spaces, include usable outdoor space, and be designed to fit the scale and character of its street. Commercial and employment uses Recruitment and development should prioritize businesses that strengthen year-round daily life and diversify the economy. Ground-floor space should be flexible enough to adapt to changing tenants. Large-format or employment uses may be appropriate where their site design, loading, storage, and building form support the public realm and protect nearby uses. ROME TOWN CENTER | DRAFT Page 5 Civic, recreation, and visitor uses Community buildings, indoor recreation, visitor information, arts and culture, public markets, lodging, and park- support uses can anchor activity throughout the year. Visitor-oriented development should also provide tangible resident benefits and avoid displacing essential community-serving functions. Development review • Use site plan review, planned development tools, development agreements, and updated zoning standards to confirm consistency with this plan. • Evaluate the whole block and public-realm contribution, not only the individual lot. • Coordinate access, utilities, stormwater, parking, trails, and open space across property lines. • Require conceptual plans to identify future phases so early work does not block later connections. • Tie incentives, Town land disposition, or public participation to measurable community benefits and implementation milestones. 5. Public Realm, Mobility, and Access Safe, connected, multimodal network The circulation system should move people safely and efficiently while reinforcing the Town Center as a place. State Highway 13 and Alpine Drive provide regional access; 13th Avenue provides a secondary connection; and Timberline Parkway, Aniwa Court, Geneva Trail, Snow Pass, Climbers Pass, Matterhorn Trail, and future connections form the internal network. Street design should reflect context, target speed, winter operations, emergency access, and the mix of users expected on each segment. Complete-street priorities • Provide a continuous accessible pedestrian route, with sidewalks or shared-use paths connecting destinations and logical crossings on all appropriate intersection legs. • Design crossings for visibility, short exposure, detectable edges, appropriate lighting, and traffic speeds compatible with pedestrian activity. • Use traffic calming, narrow travel lanes where feasible, curb extensions, raised or high-visibility crossings, median refuges, and gateway treatments where supported by engineering. • Accommodate bicycles and approved low-speed or recreational modes with a connected network selected through a corridor-level safety analysis. • Plan for winter: snow storage, drainage, plowing routes, durable markings, and year-round access to priority sidewalks and public spaces. • Coordinate truck and service access so deliveries remain functional without dominating active streets and gathering areas. Parking and curb management Parking should support, not define, the Town Center. Use on-street spaces, shared lots, rear or side parking, cross-access, and phased parking supply. Avoid unnecessary minimum parking requirements where shared or ROME TOWN CENTER | DRAFT Page 6 district strategies can meet demand. Provide accessible spaces, bicycle parking, loading, short-term pickup, electric-vehicle readiness, and event operations as part of a coordinated curb and parking plan. The 2025 Vision recommends evaluating one-way westbound operation on Snow Pass with angled parking, coordinated with eastbound movement on Climbers Pass. This concept should advance only after traffic, emergency access, winter maintenance, bicycle interaction, accessible parking, drainage, and event-day operations are tested through engineering and a temporary demonstration where feasible. Streetscape and public-space elements • Pedestrian ways sized for clear movement plus furnishing, frontage, and snow-storage zones. • Frequent seating with backs and arms, shade, shelter, drinking water where feasible, and accessible gathering areas. • Public art and interpretive elements that reflect local history, ecology, recreation, and contemporary community life. • Coordinated utilities, trees, lighting, signs, furnishings, drainage, and maintenance access within limited right-of-way. • Event-ready infrastructure such as power, water, Wi-Fi, waste stations, flexible vendor areas, and clear emergency routes. 6. Buildings, Sites, and Landscape Contemporary Northwoods character Design should draw from Rome’s forested setting through authentic materials, human-scale proportions, deep entries, sheltered outdoor space, visible craft, and a restrained natural palette. The intent is not to require a single architectural style or apply decorative motifs to otherwise generic buildings. Contemporary interpretations and low-carbon materials should be welcomed when they reinforce the public realm and age well. Building placement and frontage • Place primary entrances and active rooms toward streets, squares, parks, and pedestrian routes. • Use reduced front setbacks in walkable areas while preserving clear sight lines, accessible routes, landscape zones, and outdoor-use opportunities. • Break long facades into human-scale bays using entrances, windows, changes in plane, porches, canopies, or material transitions. • Locate parking, loading, utilities, service areas, and outdoor storage behind or beside buildings and screen them from primary public spaces. • Design corner buildings and civic sites as landmarks without relying on excessive height, brightness, or signage. Adaptability and sustainability • Use durable, repairable materials and assemblies suited to freeze-thaw cycles, snow, deicing, and seasonal use. ROME TOWN CENTER | DRAFT Page 7 • Design ground floors, structural bays, ceiling heights, utilities, and entries to support changing tenants and mixed uses over time. • Encourage high-performance envelopes, efficient all-electric systems where feasible, rooftop-solar readiness, electric-vehicle readiness, and responsible exterior lighting. • Provide secure bicycle storage, waste and recycling areas, package delivery, and broadband infrastructure appropriate to the use. • Apply universal-design principles to entrances, routes, dwelling units, restrooms, and gathering spaces. Signs, wayfinding, and lighting Signs should be legible, scaled to their audience, coordinated with the building and streetscape, and located outside the accessible travel path. A unified wayfinding family should connect highway gateways, parking, the Town Square, parks, trails, civic destinations, and businesses. Digital signs, if permitted, should be carefully controlled for brightness, motion, timing, and location. Exterior lighting should be warm in color, energy efficient, shielded, and no brighter than needed for safety and use; dark-sky performance and impacts on nearby homes and habitat should be considered. Landscape Use native and climate-adapted trees, shrubs, grasses, and groundcovers to define spaces, provide shade, buffer traffic, support pollinators, improve infiltration, and reduce maintenance. Preserve healthy mature trees and connected habitat where practical. Planting plans should account for salt, snow storage, drought, utilities, sight lines, establishment watering, and long-term stewardship. Avoid invasive species and high-maintenance ornamental landscapes that provide limited ecological benefit. 7. Resilience, Infrastructure, and Stewardship Green infrastructure and stormwater Manage rainfall and snowmelt as close to the source as practical using a treatment train of preserved soils and vegetation, reduced impervious area, tree canopy, bioretention, rain gardens, permeable pavement, infiltration or detention systems, and protected overflow routes. Designs should reflect current precipitation data, future rainfall intensity, groundwater protection, winter operation, and maintenance responsibility. Green infrastructure should be integrated visibly into streets and public spaces where it can provide ecological and place-making value. Utilities and public cost Utility strategy should be resolved at a district scale before major land disposition. Shared or clustered wastewater systems, water supply, fire protection, broadband, energy, and stormwater systems may support compact development where technically and financially feasible. Phasing decisions should account for full lifecycle costs, reserve capacity, maintenance ownership, replacement funding, and the risk of stranded infrastructure. ROME TOWN CENTER | DRAFT Page 8 Resilience and continuity • Provide shade, cooling, shelter, and indoor/outdoor options for heat, smoke, storms, and winter conditions. • Protect emergency access and identify backup power or resilience-hub opportunities in civic or community facilities. • Design public spaces and business-support systems so activity can continue across seasons and changing economic conditions. • Monitor groundwater, stormwater, tree canopy, and infrastructure performance and adapt standards as conditions change. 8. Sequencing and Implementation The Town Center should develop incrementally. Sequencing should respond to market demand and economic cycles while ensuring that each phase delivers a coherent piece of the public framework. Town-owned land provides leverage to set expectations through parcel configuration, requests for proposals, development agreements, design review, and performance milestones. Near-term action program # Action Purpose and key tasks Timing 1 Adopt an integrated regulatory framework Reconcile the five subdistricts and current zoning tools; evaluate a form-based or hybrid code focused on building form, frontage, public realm, transitions, and predictable review. 0-2 years 2 Test and design Snow Pass operations Evaluate one-way operation, angled parking, accessibility, event circulation, winter maintenance, loading, drainage, and bicycle safety; use a temporary demonstration before permanent construction where feasible. 0-2 years 3 Issue the first development RFP Offer a manageable Town-owned site that can deliver a mix of housing types, set a high design standard, include clear public-realm obligations, and remain accessible to local and regional development teams. 0-3 years 4 Plan the Town Square extension Continue property-owner discussions; complete survey, appraisal, concept design, access analysis, and a public- benefit/fiscal evaluation before acquisition, exchange, or construction decisions. 0-5 years ROME TOWN CENTER | DRAFT Page 9 # Action Purpose and key tasks Timing 5 Prepare a public-realm and utility plan Coordinate street sections, trails, parks, stormwater, wastewater, water/fire protection, broadband, lighting, wayfinding, trees, snow operations, costs, and maintenance responsibilities. 0-3 years 6 Launch year-round programming and business support Coordinate markets, arts, recreation, civic events, pop-ups, business recruitment, and Visit Rome partnerships; use measurable goals for seasonal balance and resident benefit. Ongoing Decision criteria for each phase • Vision fit: advances the mixed-use, walkable, year-round, Northwoods town-center concept. • Public benefit: adds needed services, housing, jobs, public space, connections, or tax-base value. • Fiscal durability: identifies capital, operations, maintenance, replacement, and revenue implications. • Infrastructure readiness: has a feasible access, utility, stormwater, emergency-service, and winter- operations strategy. • Design quality: frames streets and public spaces, provides accessible routes, and meets adopted design standards. • Environmental performance: protects water, soils, habitat, and trees while reducing runoff, energy use, and long-term maintenance. • Deliverability: demonstrates site control, financing capacity, realistic phasing, and enforceable milestones. Five-year monitoring dashboard The Town should review progress annually and formally refresh priorities at least every five years. Suggested indicators include: acres and parcels offered or developed; housing units by type and accessibility; year-round businesses and jobs; storefront vacancy; taxable value and public cost; linear feet of sidewalk/trail completed; Town Square programming days and attendance; crashes and observed speeds; shared parking utilization; tree canopy and green-infrastructure area; and status of WisDOT, utility, zoning, and property actions. APPENDIX A | 2025 CONCEPT GRAPHICS Page 10 Appendix A. Concept Graphics APPENDIX B | REVIEW, APPROVAL, AND SOURCES Page 11 Appendix B. Review, Approval, and Sources Review and approval record First public draft presented: [To be completed] Community Development Authority review dates: [To be completed] Community Development Authority recommendation: [To be completed] Public hearing: [To be completed] Town Board adoption: [To be completed] Ordinance / resolution number: [To be completed] Town review items before adoption • Confirm the official Town Center boundary and whether the planning area should be described as approximately 230 or 250 acres. • Confirm current zoning district structure, site-plan and planned-development procedures, and the desired form-based or hybrid-code approach. • Verify road names, rights-of-way, posted speeds, ownership, and operational assumptions. • Replace historic Highway 13 traffic counts with current WisDOT data and project-specific analysis. • Confirm property ownership and the status of discussions related to a Town Square extension. • Complete utility, wastewater, water/fire-protection, stormwater, environmental, and fiscal feasibility work. • Update concept maps and graphics to match the final text, boundary, phasing, and regulatory framework. • Confirm acknowledgements, committee rosters, meeting dates, and adoption language. Primary source documents • Town of Rome Comprehensive Plan Amendment, Chapter 1 - Background and Demographics. Draft update using the 2020 Census, Wisconsin DOA 2025 estimates, and 2020-2024 ACS five-year estimates. • Alpine Village Business Park: Development and Design Manual, originally adopted in 2004, as referenced by the June 2026 Updated Design Plan. Acknowledgements The Town should insert a verified acknowledgment list before adoption, including the Town Board, Community Development Authority, Rome Town Center Sub-Committee, Town staff, consultant teams, funding partners, participating property owners and businesses, and community members who contributed to the planning process.