Plan Commission - Public Hearing — Agenda

Town of Merton Public Hearing To Consider Amendments to the Adopted Town of Merton Comprehensive Land Use Plan – 2035, Adopted by the Town of Merton Town Board by Ordinance on May 12, 2009. The Amendment Includes the Following Request: Change the Land Use Designation on the Gideon Farms LLC Properties from “Government and Institutional” to “Mixed Use”. The Property is Located at N56W30020 County Road K – Tax Key MRTT0396-999-002 - CSM #7611 – 8 Acres June 17th, 2026 Present: Chairman Klink, Commissioners Griffin, Olson, Siepmann, Good, & Caliendo, Attorney Van Kleunen, Planner Haroldson, and Deputy Clerk Claas Absent: Commissioner Queoff Also Present: Andy Gehl, Jim Shaw, John Utlech, Brian Graves, Kristin Graves, Chris Jaekels, Alison & Brian Pritzow, Patrick Johnson, Anthony Wychules, and Rob Kashevarot The Public Hearing was called to order by Chairman Klink at 5:30 p.m. Planner Haroldson read the Public Hearing Notice. Gehl said this property is 8 acres on the corner of Highway K and Highway E, and his goal is to switch it to mixed use with the long-term goal to build a coffee shop and an ice cream shop. When they passed zoning, then they would come in for building permits. Chairman Klink clarified that he’s looking to change the property to mixed use in the Master Plan. Planner Haroldson explained that the Town has Comprehensive Land Use Plan that was approved in 2009 and was updated. The Town worked with Waukesha County and other towns to have more consistency and it’s the future of land use planning, not the zoning. It is what the Town wants to see in the future. Planner Haroldson stated this property was residential in the comprehensive plan but was changed to public and institutional when the school owned it. The Plan needs to change because the school doesn’t own it anymore. Commissioner Good asked once the buildings are up and they’re operating at full capacity; how many people would be there. Gehl responded that the best expectation is 40 or 50 people. They’re not expecting hundreds or thousands. They will have parking, but there’s a portion they expect where people are walking and will come from the adjacent subdivision and from schools. He is not looking to run either the coffee shop or the ice cream shop. Chairman Klink stated that this property he’s looking for mixed use and agricultural for the rest and questioned what’s the difference if the whole thing were agricultural. Gehl said the long-term plan really is the Town’s and the County’s decision. When he comes back for zoning, which is a separate meeting, he will be looking for agricultural for the 32-acre parcel and B-2 for the 8-acre parcel to match up with the Town Code. Chairman Klink stated in this particular area there is no mixed use in the Master Plan to begin with, and you’re putting it in a situation where there are schools and residential. It doesn’t seem like a good idea, in his opinion, to have a mixed use on that particular area when he could accomplish things in a different way and still get what you’re going for. The Town doesn’t have mixed use in that area and to put it in with the churches and schools and residential, he’s not real sure that’s a good thing. Commissioner Siepmann said he has the same question Chairman Klink has. It’s really hard to juggle this between zoning and land use. He’s not afraid of B-2, but he thinks it might be easier to put agricultural over the whole thing and work out some conditions. Chairman Klink opened the meeting to public questions or concerns. Rob Kashevarof – 244 Four Winds Ct – stated he’s in the subdivision just north of this and he’s just at the meeting as a neighbor. He said they are all really excited about this. His wife likes that she will be able to just walk and get eggs. That sounds fantastic. Everyone he’s talked to in his neighborhood is really excited about it, and he thinks Andy is doing a great thing. Commissioner Griffin asked if there has been conversations with the County about as far as a traffic study or anything on that intersection being how busy it is. Gehl responded yes, there has, multiple times. Commissioner Siepmann stated conceptually this is really a great use. It honors the agricultural history of property; the conceptual site plan is excellent. If the Town goes this way with the uses that are proposed, he thinks it’s a great use of the property. Public Hearing closed at 5:42 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Holly R Claas Deputy Clerk