Plan Commission - Regular Meeting

um and streamed on our YouTube channel. That link is at the top of the agenda for the Zoom. Um it's also in person at Village Hall. It is 6:34. Um so I'll call the meeting to order. We have a quorum and the agenda was properly posted. So we'll stand for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Right. Um this is the public appearances, public's opportunity to speak. Um we um will have up to you each speaker will have up to three minutes and we'll um kind of I'll keep the official time here and I'll let you know if you tend to run over and we just ask that everyone be respectful and this is um we'll also ask that you hold your comments if you are here for public hearings to the public hearing um section. So, we'll start with individuals on the um in the room and then move to individuals on Zoom. If there's anyone here to speak for the non-public hearing um topics, anyone here in the room for that? Anyone on Zoom for the non-public hearing? Okay. So, we're going to move on then to discuss and consider the minutes from the plan commission meeting on November 12th, 2025. Um those meeting minutes are linked in the agenda as a PDF. Motion to approve is presented

and I'll second. Right. Motion by Alex, second by Heidi. Any other discussion? Otherwise, all those in favor? I I

opposed. Stain. Motion carries. So, we'll move on to the public hearing. This is the public's opportunity to speak regarding um a request from Dave Hensak of New Techch Golf Carts for approval of a conditional use permit to allow the outdoor display incidental to indoor sales land use at 645 Sandpiper Trail. So, I'll open the hearing and um I'll I'll have I think we'll go in order of having Dave if you wish to um speak and Aaron um to kind of introduce the topic first and then we do have several wish to speak forms for um individuals that are here and we'll make sure that anyone else who would like to speak has that opportunity anyone on Zoom who would like to speak and then we'll close the public hearing and have discussion amongst the board. So, I don't know if Eric would like to go first and kind of just

just briefly um you know, last year we did see carts out there um on display. After looking into that a little bit, it was determined that um New Tech was going to need a conditional use permit for that. So, the carts were removed and Dave submitted his application. So, that's where we are tonight. Um Dave, if you want to come up and explain kind of what you're what you're thinking about here. Yep. So, you just press the little guy that's speaking and it'll turn red.

Okay. Um I'm Dave Henzia. I own New Tech Painting and New Tech Golf Carts. And uh I just built a new facility at 645 Spiper Trail and I have this new golf cart company that's about a year old. And I'm looking to display carts out front because that's what drives my sales. And if I can't do that, it's going to be it's going to be a lot tougher to run that company out of that location for sure. So, I'm asking that we are able to park our carts out front. Um, no more. I think I proposed Aaron, do they got that information like the the map? Okay. So, I have a map of kind of where I wanted them laid out like I did all summer long. And um you know, I don't think they were in the way. They looked really they're very very high-end carts, so they're very nice looking. Um but I'm just asking that I'm able to do that again next year and for many years to come.

Erin, do you have anything you'd like to add before allowing public comments?

Sure. I can just go through the staff report. Um, so this would be considered an outdoor display incidental to indoor sales land use. Um, which is one I don't think we've used before. So that's a new one. Um, there are some regulations attached to that use that would impact Dave's request. Um, some of the relevant ones, display of items shall not be permitted within the required setback areas for the principal structure. Um the items on display should not reduce or inhibit the use of uh parking stalls that are that would [clears throat] lower you below the required number of stalls that are needed. Um the display area should be separated from vehicular parking and circulation by a minimum of 10 feet and then signs, screening, enclosures, etc. should not interfere with on-site or off-site traffic visibility. Um, I think the carts that were proposed for Sandpiper would not be consistent with a few of these items. So, I think one of the conditions is going to be that the ones on Sandpiper are not allowed. Um and then in speaking with the resident today, um he pointed out another section that was in the introduction to the accessory uses that specified that um accessory uses cannot be located between the principal building and the street frontage on the same lot. That would have some impact on the Cottage Grove uh ones as well. Well, they couldn't be placed in front of the building, but could potentially be west of the pond where they're not in front of the building. Um, so as far as the conditions we would recommend, um, if you choose to approve this, uh, first one, the use permit applies

only to the new tech golf carts business, not to any other businesses on the site. And it's only for the carts, um, no other types of vehicles or equipment. Um, in light of the not placing the carts between the building and the street um part of the ordinance, I would recommend changing recommendation number two um to uh define the display area on West Cottage Grove Road based on 32549H um which is that introduction section and 329 32549 D4 which is the other um criteria that were referenced in the report. Uh the third condition uh the carts shown in the submittal on sand by portrayal would not be permitted. Um and the fourth condition Dave had referenced that he only displays them for part of the year. I think we want to put some firm dates on that and not just leave it not in the winter. I think like in the report I suggested April 1st to October 31st, but it's kind of up to you what you want to decide on that.

Can I make a comment? I guess my only argument with that is that there's other businesses in town and I guess I don't want to name them, but um they do have automotive and they got [clears throat] motorsport stuff that's between the building and the main road. there are other locations that have that already. And if it's um against the ordinance, I guess, how do we get past that and hopefully change the ordinance? Because I'm, you know, I'm I'm not going to be able to do that, but the other folks that own those companies do, um they're able to do that. I I don't think it's fair. Do you have anything else you want to

No, that's it. Very much um start with the wish to speak forms. um from those that are here. So, John Liieber liber, sorry, you even put the phonetic spelling in there for me. Don't worry about it. I answered both. [snorts] Well, thanks for having me here. Um so, uh Mr. Ruth kind of address Do you want to Can you state your name, address?

Of course. Sorry. Uh John Liber 504 Gway. Um so, Mr. Mr. Ruth addressed the one of my concerns the uh because in an ordinance it says between the building and the street. Um the other thing I would ask if there is a conditional use permit granted is that uh one of the conditions be tied to not violating any of the other ordinances. I've noticed um golf carts being advertised on the website to give test rides and I've I've know people have seen golf carts on village streets and that's not actually allowed in Cottage Grove. It's not an ordinances and in order to be allowed, the village board would have to pass a specific ordinance allowing golf carts and it's somewhat of a safety issue if nobody's expecting a golf cart when they pull out a driveway or just driving down a residential street. So, I would ask that that would be added as one of the conditions for any display of golf carts. And that's that's my that's all I have to say. Thank you.

Thank you. All right. Um, Carrie, I'm Carrie Pronto. I live at 210 Coil Parkway. And I think that if we wanted to have golf carts, a car lot, then we should have a lot put there for carts for sale. They shouldn't be on the sidewalk where the kids ride their bikes and all that stuff. And the flags, it's kind of annoying seeing that. And plus the big pile of dirt that is sitting there for over a year that should be leveled off and not have weeds growing over it because if it was at my property, you guys would have me doing that. So that's what I think is if he wants to have golf carts. I don't have a problem with his golf carts at all, but they should be in a lot just like a car lot for sale. You know, make a lot for him right where the pile of dirt is. That's all I got to say.

I did notice that you said you didn't want to speak, so thank you for speaking anyway. Um, can you just wait until we go through all of this and we can bring you back up for our discussion, too, Dave. Um Kesha, you uh is um 500 [clears throat] Galloway Terrace and um is a village resident um is registering against um the item for the for this and then we heard from Dave. Is there anyone else who would like to speak um for this public hearing? Yep. Okay.

Hi, Kesha Peters, 500 Gallaway Terrace. Um, I'm not as strong against So, I I just don't I guess I'm I want a business to succeed. So, I don't want to impede on that. But then kind of like what John had mentioned, I want to make sure that the other um uh sorry, my brain is kind of fried right now. Um the other ordinances are are kept. And um I just want to say that initially what we thought was going in that building and what we were very excited about going in that building got flipped. And so this is just kind of a drastic change from just a paint storage place. So I think that um we just would like to have not so much flashy flags and things like that behind our our houses. So that was it. Thank you. Is there anyone else in the room that would like to speak? Is there anyone on Zoom that would like to speak for this item?

So, we'll close the public hearing then and we'll move on to number seven, which is discuss and consider the request from Dave Hensak. So, I can jump in on a few of the topics that were brought up here. Um, as far as the test drives, I ran that by Chief Gary today. Um, there is a section of our ordinance 30516, I believe it was, that allows some types of electric vehicles. So, I think we would just need some documentation from Dave to see if those meet that criteria or not is what the chief said. But in terms of putting that into any type of condition tonight, we should we would hold off on that and then bring that back separate.

Guess I would defer to Rick on that if that's considered connected to this issue or not. So typically like conditions like that would be related to the site itself. [clears throat] um you know we can't for instance we wouldn't be able to put a a condition on you know the owner to say you can't speed in the village right it's just not related to the use necessarily here it's a little bit trickier if like test drives are being thrown out of the or used out of the the facility um if the vehicles aren't legal on village streets which we would need to pass an ordinance to allow for golf courts on village roads um you know that it would be easy for village police to enforce that. Um but maybe it's more of a communication issue. I'm just not sure how because it's the wouldn't be Dave necessarily or the owner necessarily that's doing the the use or um those conditions. It would be other people. So, um, typically any, um, conditional use permit, I mean, we could throw conditions in there like compliance with all village ordinances, but it would have to relate to the specific use. So, something like that, I'm just not sure of off the top of my head.

Okay. Yeah. I mean, as far as I'm being legal or not, that's kind of something we'll look into either way. And then it it's kind of its own issue, I believe. Um the I know there were a bunch of flags out there. We talked to Dave about that and there's limitations in the ordinance. I think you can only have two, I think. So they're going to have to meet that requirement either way. Um does that refer to flags like on if we were to allow all the golf carts or is it like two flags on the property?

On the property. So not a flag like per golf cart or something. Okay. Um, I guess as far as the dirt pile, that's not actually Dave's property. That's um the Zilki property next door now. Um, certainly if there's maintenance issues with that going forward, we can contact Dave if they're not going to move forward with the building here in the short term. Um, yeah, I think those are the main main comments I had on that. Dave, I'll let you come back up here and then um

um yeah, Erin had pointed out the land actually sold to a friend of mine. The other half I owned all of it at once, but it's now sold to a friend of mine. So, he's going to develop it. Otherwise, I probably would put a parking lot there if I could. So, although my name is New Techch Golf Carts, um the carts that I sell are 100% road legal. They are DOT certified by the DOT and they are licensed, insured and um they're like a car. We have them in the Dells. We have them in four different cities that I have locations. Um it's technically not a golf cart. It's technically a car. Seriously. So the people that are on the test drives, those carts that are out are plated, insured, and 100% legal to be on any DOT road in Wisconsin. So, I'm a car dealership. Um, I had to become one because when we sell them, we got to do a DOT form just like a car dealership would. So, they are 100% legal to drive anywhere in the city. And we meet that. I know we meet that code for that as well. And, um, I just want to assure you they're not a golf cart. They're a low-speed vehicle and they're 100% licensed and insured beyond the roads. And we have plates on them. We have dealer plates on them.

So, I just wanted to point that out. I'm going to let the um commission ask questions and have some discussion. Then I think that there's kind of the list of conditions we can go through and we are going to obviously have to make some modifications from what you requested based on some staff input in my opinion. Um there's going to have to be some changes due to some ordinances and um some other conditions that we have. So I'll let the commission members speak or ask questions. [clears throat]

Hey. Um, I'm wondering uh if you know what percentage of your sales are driven by people walking by seeing the carts coming in.

Probably 75% is visual. And if I have to move my carts back by my back pond, I will not have any visibility because when Mr. Ziliki develops that, it's going to I'm going to lose a lot of um you won't be able to see my carts back there. And if I can't have them on sandpaper, which is fine, and I have a big parking lot, I can't put them in my parking lot. I can't have them outside, then my business is going to fail in the city or the village. [clears throat] Is there I'm not super familiar with the layout of the building other than driving by it. Sure.

Is there space available in there for a showroom that could highlight the cars from the road? Uh well, I put glass a big glass door in that you can see it. It's a beautiful showroom. Um but it's kind of when I built that building was an afterthought, so it's kind of tucked back. And um although I do own everything in that entire complex, um it's all new. Can you move your mic closer to Oh, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry. Maybe I'll move closer.

Thank you. So everything that is in there, we did put the golf cart building in last and we did put a nice big glass door so people can see in with the neon lights, but it's still unless I have carts out there, nobody knows I'm really there. So I'd say 75% of our sales is people driving by. Okay. And with you owning everything and the golf cart business seemingly maybe taking over um and being bigger than you expected, is there any way to utilize any of the other space? Um I know it's rented out by a few tenants. I don't know if there's any empty areas or any

right there in the back. So New Tech Painting um which is my main company has grown quite a bit. So that's like the showcase of the whole entire place. And um my wife told me not to overpower the golf carts with the painting company because that is our bread and butter. But um so I I put tastefully those carts in the front off to the side uh by the empty lot. And I thought it looked nice. I thought the flags look nice. The carts look nice. I mean they are very high-end and very very nice looking. Um I don't think they're an eyesore like a rusty old car would be. Um but technically we are a car dealership too. So just so you know, we have to showcase them somehow. Um, I'm just asking that tucked way back by that second pond that I own is just too far.

People won't see us. Okay. Yeah. It's in the eye of the beholder whether, you know, they're attractive or not. I think a case we've made either way, even if they're Ferraris, people might not want a line of them out there. Gotcha. Um, have you considered any alternatives? Um, maybe adding pavement cleaning up a spot that you can display some number of carts that allows you to display to the public without just piling them up on the grass.

Yeah. So, I would do that other than like the runoff for the water for my ponds. Um I checked with the engineering and I can't really add any more parking lot space. Um I just had my ponds redone for a second time, so I know my limitations for that. I'd like to put a parking lot over there and display them. um that's just not an option. But um you know I if I can't put any in my own parking lot that I own right with all my parking spaces and I can't display my carts. I mean it's just my business here will fail. That that business will I mean I do run ads and I do I'm on commercials and I do what I can but like a lot of it's visual.

Okay. Thanks. Thank you. Other questions from commission JP. So this is a question more for Aaron and Rick. Um given that Dave just disclosed that he's been his business is like a car dealership. Does that change uh any of our conversations here uh regarding the use and related to his business?

It would still be in that um outdoor display category. Yeah, that would be my [clears throat] initial impression as well. I guess on the the location of the display, I don't think the village would have discretion to deviate from what the ordinance requires. So, the ordinance says it can't be between the principal structure and the street frontage unless the ordinance language changes. There's not discretion to deviate from those standards. So given those ordinance changes sand that kind of removes sandpiper um out of the request that we would based on the ordinance and also the setbacks from the parking lot etc that

right so there wouldn't be carts between the principal structure and the street frontage that would be um any carts between the um the building and the sandpiper street frontage and then for cottage grove road, they wouldn't be able to be in front of the building. They'd have to be on the side of the building. And so I don't know how much of that side on the west, right? It would be [clears throat] is really the only opportunity to display these carts. Um, and I'm not sure how many carts could fit in that area. And then it has to be so far back from the sidewalk, too. I'm assuming believe it's 40 feet. Yeah, 40 feet. Right. So on Sandpiper, I wouldn't be able to display anything because I'd be violating my own parking lots. Yes. [laughter]

But then I can't be on the rightway, right? Or the the easement piece and in the front. I can't do anything from the building back. Um I think the only spot I could be is by my second pond that's in the far back and probably nobody even knows it's there except for the residents, but I put a second pond in that far back corner and nobody's going to see it back there. Um and again, my only argument, and I don't know how I request to here to change the ordinance. Um, again, there are other businesses that have that same thing going on, uh, where they have from the road to their their building and they're displaying their cars, they're displaying all their, uh, motorsport stuff and they're clearly in violation as well. So, I'm not trying to throw anyone under the bus. I'm just saying that um, it's uh, the ordinance. I'm asking that we propose to change it or

Yeah. So, this is specific to accessory uses. So that would probably be the differentiating factor. If the primary use is sales and service for like outdoor displays, then it's okay. Then that's like that's just my guess, frankly. I got you. Because this is an accessory use, it's specific to the accessory land use regulations that the displays can't be between the primary structure and the street frontage. Okay. How would I? So, because I'm technically a car dealership, a DOT certified dealer, could I not get that same verbiage to be able to display stuff to the front of my building?

Uh, it would depend on what the primary use of the property is. So, you know, the property was originally zoned for like I don't remember if it was general zoning or if it was a PUD, but it was for the it was um planned business zoning. Yeah. So if the primary business out of there is the new tech painting business, that's your primary use. I gotcha. Okay, I understand. So is there opportunity to place one cart between your building and um the west border of your property on Cottage Grove Road? That would be over. You're saying over by that um by my other land that I sold on that side.

Yeah. Yeah. I guess in between the property line and where your building ends. Is there opportunity to put a cart? Is there space to put like one cart? Well, I could put plenty back there. Um, so like I mean kind of up front though. So, cuz you're asking to put the carts along the Cottage Grove Road corridor, but because of the ordinance, we you can't have any, right? So, you know where my ponds are. So, the big pond in the front. Um, can I go from the side of the pond back towards my other pond or where where's my where's the defined line? I guess do you think you could bring up the map from the application because if I could be parallel with my pond, I mean then I get visibility. If I got to be back by my other pond way back there, then it's going to be hard.

Can you I'm trying to come up with something. No, thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Alex. Go ahead. Who's bring Sorry. Yeah, who's bringing up the map? I think if you bring an aerial view up of like Google Maps, it helps because it's it shows the building and then where that back pond is a little bit. I don't know if that's possible, Lisa. Um, this is the sketch Dave provided. Um, kind of sketching in where that front pond is. I think to the west of the orange pond beyond the 40 ft from Cottage Grove Road, you could have a display area right there. Yeah.

I don't think you're going to get 14 carts in there. I think it's going to be a much smaller number. I don't need to, but would it be parallel with the pond or do I got to be set back even further than the pond, I guess, is my question. Were the oranges there to the left of that? Can I be can I be at or parallel with that? Not parallel, but yeah. So, the the ordinance says it can't be located between a principal building and street frontage. So, if it's parallel or behind the frontage of the building, so where my front like my private garage is, I could go right across from that as long as I'm not in front of it going towards the road. uh the principal structure. So Okay. Yeah. Okay.

So basically not in front of any of like your building siding, but you can go you could get maybe a cart off to the side. Yeah. Where your garages are like right over there. Yep. So let me ask you this. So I have that private garage for my office right there. I have all that black top and that's clearly behind the building on the side of it. I could line them up right there if I wanted to as well. Is that considered parking lot? No, not at all. It's a private drive, too.

Yeah. I guess it's hard to kind of make these decisions off the the cuff here. [snorts] So, maybe we could um talk about, you know, potential other locations that might work um and bring it back to the planning commission. Um and and I do understand what you're saying and I'll look at it. I mean, and see if I can keep carts as close up to the front of the building as I can without uh violating that, that would work.

And I think there's some language in the comp plan, too, about kind of maintaining the look of this area and Cottage Grove Road as, you know, people are coming and visiting and people, you know, are driving into their into the residential areas. Um, so I I understand that this is how you're going to drive sales for your company, for your business, and respect that, but I think limiting the number um of golf carts is something I'd like I'd like to see to maintain kind of consistency with our comp plan and also consistency with all of our ordinances. Um, so if if you could fit one golf cart or two in that's in the space that kind we just described on the west side there. Um, I think that's something that we could would fit within, you know, the conditions described in the the comp plan and the um the ordinances that we have,

right? So there is plenty of room. I I would request six carts because that's like a third of what we had over there and it's not going to look gay because there is a lot of space right there. But I need people to know that we're a golf cart company. Like if we have one or two carts, it's it's not going to really But I mean, six is not a lot. I just want it to look like, hey, we got golf carts for sale. Um but that's what I would request is I mean, if we want to agree upon a number, six would be a great number. That's a fraction of what I had before. I mean, I think if you choose to have Dave bring it back for the next meeting, we would just have a drawing that's a little more Yeah. dimensioned and we could do that for sure.

Delineating exactly where the space is and what's going to fit in it. Yeah, Erin, just Yeah, that's exactly what I was thinking. Like we're we're already looking I hate to delay things. There's a lot of people that are interested in sure what we decide, but to measure what that space is like and how many carts you can fit there and just go through each of those requirements. I think it might be cleaner for everybody to to know, but and we're not looking at displaying them until April likely anyway. So, April, right? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I wish it was earlier, but me, too, for sure. Um I mean, I think it might work out best for

Yeah, we can lay out a better draft. And I mean, proportionately, it's not going to look I promise my building looks exactly what I told you guys it would look like when I built it. And I'm promising I'm not going to make it look gay. I mean, we'll put carts in there that are tasteful, and I don't want it to look cluttered either, but I want it to be seen that, hey, it's a it's a golf cart. We got them for sale. I mean, I'm going to be able to put up two flags, which actually will work now because we'll have less carts, so two flags will kind of maximize the car. Sometimes less is more. Well, that's true. I still thought it looked cool, but I don't know. That's my opinion. I was wondering where the 14 came from because I thought it was maybe the rainbow, but Roy [laughter] G. Bib, I'm like, I don't know where 14's coming from,

right? Um, can you speak a little bit about I think the other thing in there was the timing. So, you know, staff had suggested April 1st to October 31st, but yes, your sales probably drive. So, is it shorter time, longer time? And people also get depending on weather, but u we'll pick up spring is going to be our the big one, right? So, um yeah, April 1 is a really good date for our carts to come out if they're cold. It has to be warm enough, right? So, and then um October all the way through October, we're selling carts. So, if we did the 1st through the 31st of October would be wonderful.

Other comments on this item? I did just think of one other question. You do have ebikes that I've seen. Is I got rid of them all. So, I did I sold them. Okay. I sold them all. They're gone. So, that that wouldn't need to be covered in this. Not at all. No ebikes are gone. Yeah. Okay. Thank you. Um, I do have to ask. I was going to sell scooters. I see a million kids driving scooters. I was I got a one that I was going to order like 300 scooters, but I don't know. I'm going to sell them online, too. Is that something you guys have an ordinance with for electric scooters? Because I see them drive by every all day long with kids. I didn't know if that's going to be an issue. I

mean, as far as displaying them outside, it's going to be subject to all the same rules. I won't I mean, can I put one out in front of the glass door for the golf cart company? I mean, is that like on my property? Is that going to be an issue? Um I mean, the submitt for tonight was only about the golf carts. I think when we come back next month, we'll Yeah. Okay. You can throw that into it if you want. Yep. You bet. I'll put I can put you in touch with our police chief so we can have maybe have a conversation about ebikes and the community in general because I know that sounds good. I appreciate some conversation about that and yeah, wear a helmet, please. Okay. Any other comments? Alex, I know you're online. I want to make sure we hear from you.

No, I'm good. I I can be that guy and you know, you brought up some good points with some of the other other businesses and and um I thank the team for describing some of the different use cases where the primary building is a is a sales building or or a or a shop. Um there's a there is a property that sets up like a greenhouse and covers multiple parking spaces. Um like how does that impact the ordinance that we're looking at here? Is that is that stuff that we would also take a look at as well? I mean is how does that just and and the reason I ask is educational purposes? Every every time we have these meetings we get great companies that are coming in looking to do great things. And I've been on this committee for quite a while, but I'm still learning. So, what what are the things that we need to look out for with with the specific language like what is the violations that that we're tying into? Er, you did a good job talking about it, but maybe you can just dig just a little bit more on some of the other things that we've seen so we can make sure that we come back next next month. We're, you know, we're really doing good for for our, you know, our community and our um commercial businesses here.

Yeah. Yeah, thanks, Alex. We can definitely address some other examples at the next meeting. Um, off the top of my head, I believe a temporary like farm stand like you're describing is um a different use under our ordinance under a temporary use. Um, but we can lay out some of those examples next time.

Yeah. And I think you did key in on the one thing like those buildings were they were built with that purpose in mind. They were initially came to the table with this this is what we're doing. And so I think as things shift here, I think this is just another good example of of how we're working with uh um our companies and businesses to to to make sure that we're all compliant and things work and the community is happy. So anyway, thanks. I appreciate the the few minutes here. Thanks. Any other conversation? Do we need to do a a motion to table or can we

um Yeah, just a motion to postpone. I would make the motion to postpone item seven. Second. There's a motion to second. Any other discussion? All those in favor? I oppose abstain. Okay. Motion carries. Thanks, Dave. All right. Thanks. I'll have that ready for you guys. Uh we'll move on to number eight on the agenda, which is a the public hearing. um public's opportunity to provide input regarding requests from the village board of trustees for reszoning um a number of parcels here from planned business to central business.

Erin, if you want to give us an overview on this topic.

Yeah, so we had kind of a brief introduction to it at the last meeting. Just kind of letting you know this was coming. Um this is a request that started with one of the village board members at a village board meeting. Um the village is working on acquiring some of the parcels in this area. Um new old building is owned by the village now. The other industrial building to the rear. Um and the village also purchased the one right on the corner where the home has been demoed in the last month or so. Um, you know, the vision in the current comp plan that we're hoping will get developed further in the next comp plan, um, would call for more of a downtown type use that the the village is missing other than the little area, you know, by 1855. Um, currently the zoning of these of these parcels is plan business, which is more appropriate for the kind of businesses we have further down on Cottage Grove Road that are a little bit more um auto dependent or just not that type of downtown feel. Um, so by switching these to the central business zoning district, um, it doesn't affect anyone's ability to stay in their home or live in their home. um the use would be grandfathered in just like it was grandfathered in when the plan business zoning was applied. So this doesn't force anybody out of their home or force anybody to do anything different. Um the main reason for doing it would be if one of those parcels did redevelop privately is not part of the village project. We would just want to make sure that it's developed in a way that's compatible with you know what the village would choose to do on the adjacent parcels. The main difference would be like building setbacks and things like that. Central business, it would be much closer to the street for example. All

right. So, we do have one wish to speak for him here. Um, Kel Steiner.

You can sit or stand just whichever you would be better for. Yep. That is Do you want to hit the off button on um Oh, sure. That guy. And then there you go. And then Chris has the other one set up for you. Okay. My name is Cal Steiner. I'm here with my wife Ruth. We've been in village of Cottage Grove since 1987. We live at 622 North Main Street. Uh the home on the hill uh just north of the properties that are being uh considered tonight. [snorts]

Just for context, Ruth is now a retired long-term first grade teacher in both Cottage Grove and Taylor Prairie schools. [snorts] Since 1987, we've seen many changes in the village. Some of them really great, some less so. [snorts] But tonight, as the planning commission considers uh some zoning changes, uh there are changes with potential for great improvement to our our village. I believe that but also for lesser improvement to our beloved village. So my request is really a two-fold request. As we consider these changes, please consider their impact on what I would consider be the heart of our village is expressing a welcoming warm and warmth and character of a front door property. That's really what it could be. And then while you're doing that, consider the impact on the value of the neighboring properties, uh, which includes us, but another another four. Um, and we've attempted to to upgrade them, uh, uh, regularly, and that would be a consideration for us. Thank you.

Is there anyone else in the room that would like to speak on this topic? Is there anyone on Zoom? Okay. So, we'll close this public hearing and move on to the discuss and consider the request for the reszoning of these parcels from planned business to central business.

Um, if I can just address some of the Cal's comments there, I totally agree with all of that. Um, as we move forward, there will be a lot of opportunities for public input if any project, any village project goes forward there. Um, later this week, we'll be putting out an RFP for the next version of the comprehensive plan. that includes um budget permitting um some exercises for laying out in more detail what that area could look like and that would involve um some public design and sharetses and things like that where people like you can come in and tell us what you want to see. So,

I think there's a lot of exciting potential to kind of, you know, bring in that missing piece of, you know, the downtown that we don't really have here. And I think, you know, reszoning to central business gives it that downtown feel. It kind of eliminates some of those setbacks. It can move parking in the back. Um um I kind of envision some mixed use, multi-story, you know, different types of businesses and really kind of increasing a lot of the walkability in Cottage Grove, too. So, you know, people in the adjacent neighborhoods having the ability to walk to those businesses and um you know, kind of create a little bit more of a vibrant community where people kind of come together. Um I think staff do have on their goals of this year too is to kind of do some of that visioning work and I think it's kind of really hard to envision what that looks like until you kind of see some of those examples. Um and so there's a lot of work that has to be done. So we don't have any of those plans. we don't have, you know, we're just in the very beginning phases and the reasoning tomorrow. We don't have the bulldozers

not happening this year not happening for a while. Um, but I think, you know, that brainstorming can start now and I think that's kind of some of the exciting things that are kind of on the horizon, but other comments from um the commission members here. I have some. Yep. Go ahead, Alex. Okay. Thanks. Um, on the map on I guess page two, I think I counted there's nine parcel numbers. So, how many of those does the village own? Uh, right now three three that the village owns. The the two um more industrial larger parcels there and then the one right on the corner.

So, [clears throat] okay. So, and there's no guarantee we're going to get any of the other ones, I guess. So, and then like and then it was page I guess it's three um in the first paragraph last sentence. The ultimate goal is to assemble all the parcels and issue an RFP to developers. And so, [clears throat] I think um Cindy, you mentioned it like it's sort of a clean slate. So what are we what are we RFPing? Like what's

well nothing until we do some of this design work through the next comp plan and through some of the public input processes that would determine what more specifically the village is looking for and that's what we would put in the RFP looking for developers who can build that vision. So then regardless of reszoning, regardless of acquiring all the properties, we're going out to theoretically like architects and saying, "Hey, do some top- down block and stack diagrams of what this space can be." And then I guess if if the village is asking for that RFP, are we looking to are we looking to combine the nine and sell them and then it's commercial property and then or as the owners of the property, we're looking to put in village amenities, village hall, village things that you know, so I'm just confused as what's we right. We don't are we looking to be in the commercial property business? I guess I I'm confused on what's the village's role. I see you're trying to assemble these properties. I guess you would go from nine properties to one property number basically and it's in the tin and you're using the what I'm still lost on this project.

So I think that well there's a couple of um RFP has jumped out a couple of times. So there's the initial process where we're submitting an RFP um in the next couple of weeks to redo the comp plan this year. So that is going to be a big undertaking and will involve a lot of public comment and opportunities. But a portion of that might also then be um some of that visioning for what this downtown area might look like. Um but then the village board too has been you know working and has you know what um over the last handful of years of acquiring some of these properties and that work I anticipate will continue to happen over however long it takes and then that's where the second RFP that we've mentioned will come in um and that will be up to a future village board to put that together. Um but then in my mind it's kind of that this area then would be redeveloped and the village board would have a lot of control then over of what that looks like and would be able to interview the people who respond to the RFP and kind of you know match what we feel the community wants and what the village board is aligned on in order to and then select that person to develop that area into our master vision. So, we're we're we are looking to be in the development business then.

That's what that's what it sounds like, right? So, we're going to acquire these properties. We're going to put our we have the listening sessions and all that aside, right? We have a comprehensive plan and we we ask,

you know, we want to grow residential to the to the east, right? And so, we have developers come in and they see that, they read that and they're like, "Hey, we can do this." And or they they push to the west, which is what they've done in prior years when we've asked more east and they come out west. Um so but I guess I you know I guess if all of that is like way future state why what is the what is the trigger that is saying hey we really want to spend money on doing this change and and change all the uses of you know to to do all this use property stuff. I mean, we may grab additional property or the the need changes and it's and you don't want the the zoning change, it needs to be something else. And so what if if we're not even that close to a design, why why are we doing this now? Why is it that important that January we we're here? I this so this is a village board of trustees request. Um it's something that the village board has aligned on and has been working towards. It came as a came up to us as um an item brought forward by two trustees and we're going through that process now. I don't think there's I mean there's

no necessary rush to do it J today in January, but this is the path that the village board has asked plan commission to go on. It's a placeholder district that would likely be more compatible with any future work that's done and is and I think in the event that we can't purchase some of the parcels. Yeah, I think you had mentioned you know is this for future village facilities and this is not in the village facility footprint or in has been in any discussion for any type of village facility

and to add on to that I don't believe we can use tiff funds for village facilities anyhow so it's not going to be a village owned operated facility like it's it's meant to be redeveloped in a in a tiff for for the purpose of a downtown

yes that's correct Correct. And we got to be a little bit careful about crossing the line on the agenda items. But the the village, I guess, isn't a developer in the traditional sense. I mean, it would be acquiring the properties, but then the standard model is you acquire the properties and then you sell them to a developer and they do the projects. Like the village isn't in it to make a profit or anything like that. It's just it's easier for the village to sort of acquire these properties over time and then um pick a developer that's going to develop it in the vision of whatever path the board chooses. But if the village owns the property, then we can pick who we want and we have a lot more control over what actually gets built. If we if it's left to the private market, it could be one developer owns a couple parcels, one another one owns a couple. they do things I don't really

like merge into one cohesive kind of thought which is why [clears throat] I think you know when you go out and talk to residents it's like where's the downtown what does that look like and I think this is you know that effort to bring that um all that all that together so yeah but I don't I just don't see that we have even half the properties yet to be even close so what I guess what are the dangers of of if we move it to central business what what could happen that's not in the direction we want it to go. So, we group these properties together. They get in central business and next thing we know it's a power plant. I I don't know. I'm making things up like like it's it's [laughter] bad. It's a it's something

Well, the village board would have to decide to put a recycling center or something. A smelly recycling center gets put right downtown, which is not what we want for the vision of the downtown, right? I don't know. But I think this gives the gives the village the control over what it's going to look like. The village board specifically. I would say Matt also has his hand up. Oh, sure. Matt, go ahead.

The idea is um it wouldn't be a use that we wouldn't want because we would own it. And at the end of the day, the request for proposals would come from developers that would they would be pitching to the village board um projects that would align with the village's vision and they would basically be proposing um what they'd be willing to purchase the property for to develop it that way. Um there may be some that would propose um a really large valued project and uh the village board might like that to the point that it's uh a reduced land sale. There could be incentives involved, but it's all to be determined by what's proposed. But the the village definitely would not be the developer. We'd be um entering into a development agreement with whomever the board selects to do the redevelopment effort.

Yeah, but it's oning the property, right, Matt? Sorry, what? You began with saying it when we we would have control of all of the properties, which we don't even have control of half of the properties right now. We have control of roughly over half the area. We have two of the largest properties and um there's there's more to come. So

getting back to Alex's initial point, the idea of why we want to zone it this way from my understanding is by putting as a central business versus planned business. It ensures that any future development meets the vision of uh the comp plan which is to have that downtown space. By moving it to that central business, it will align with that versus a plan business. It would allow again pulling from Aaron's example earlier where you let in the different types of businesses that we're seeing further down on Cottage Grove Road kind of like the new tech that we've just discussed those types of buildings in there. So this pres by reasonzoning it this way preserves that vision moving forward if any developments whether it's village or nonvillage facilitated happens

right just to build off that if there's any of the parcels listed that we can't acquire or don't acquire for some reason then it has to develop and it could be designed cohesive because it would be the same zoning for our vision for that. So there I guess that would be kind of why why do this now? Because we have this vision and we wouldn't want something to develop in the meantime that goes outside of this vision that we want for the area.

Any other comments? Just just one on that I guess too. Sorry. The So, we're moving from plan to uh It's so technical, right? Central business. The the house that you mentioned that's not there anymore. So, was that residential? The house on the corner. Yes. So, do we res So, that does that's not what this is saying, right? We're moving Oh, wait. That was illegal non-conforming use, I believe. So, it was a residential, but it was allowed to continue that use because it was an existing use when the zoning ordinance was changed to planned business.

Same with all the others, the other little because there's little houses there too, right? Yep. So, any existing use is allowed to continue, but any change in use would have to comply with any of the applicable zoning regulations for right now would be planned business, but if it's reszoned, then it would be central business. So, they were okay. Okay. So, they're just white. So, they were originally residential as built. Some as some prior pre prior board put them as plan business and we're going to move it to this proposal is to move it to central business. Yes.

Oh, thank you. That's [sighs] very technical. Thank you. And like Erin mentioned, this doesn't affect anyone's ability to uh stay in their homes, maintain, you know, residential status uh moving forward. It doesn't affect anyone's taxes in this area. There's no other changes other than the zoning changes. It's really just affecting what would happen next on the property, not what's happening now. Yeah. And hopefully that's clear to the public too of you know kind of the direction that is starting to go in and why we're making this change. Other comments?

I just have a question. What was Authentics um zoned before it was Authentics? Was that planned business? Was that central business? I think it was still rural holding because it had never been developed, but I would have to double check that.

Right. If there are no other comments, this is a discuss and consider. I would make the motion to approve the reszoning of the parcels listed from planned business to central business as presented. I'll second. Right. There's a motion and a second. Any other discussion? All those in favor? I I opposed. Obstain. I.

Motion carries. Right. We'll move on to number 10. um discuss and consider a request from Statard's Meat Market and Catering for approval of a site plan amendment to construct approximately a 930 foot addition to the existing build building located at 205 East Cottage Grove Road. Um so we do have Patrick on line here. He's the architect for the project. Um, I guess we can turn it over to you for a quick explanation of uh what Stoddards is looking to do.

Yep. My name is Patrick Egan. I'm with One Design and Engineering. I'm representing Jerry Stoddard, uh, owner of Stoddard's Market. Do you need my address for these purposes? Not if you're the applicant. No.

Okay. So, um, what we're looking to do is create some functional, uh, efficiencies inside the existing, uh, facility. Namely, what we're looking to do is take the existing meat locker uh create a new uh outdoor cooler area where those products can be uh stored and then capture that space and relocate his existing catering kitchen uh to that area, creating a uh there's an existing entry off of this side road there. I can't think of the name of it right off the top of my head. Um, but essentially we would move catering loading and unloading to the northwest corner of the building off of the rear and with the catering kitchen immediately adjacent to that space. Um, we would create two new parking stalls uh where Jerry could keep his catering trucks, at least two of them in the back, not out front. Yep. So the shaded area in gray in the upper left hand corner is the proposed cooler. Uh it' be a pre-manufactured uh stainless steel or aluminum uh singlestory cooler uh with the entrance uh for loading and unloading uh catering uh trucks off of East Oak Street. From a drainage perspective, everything uh drains from the northwest to the southeast from Willow Run down to East Cottage Grove Road. Uh this addition would not uh impact any of that drainage. Uh we are maintaining uh all existing parking with uh a gain of two additional employee or we'll call it business parking stalls in the in the rear.

Uh so what we're looking for tonight is uh approval of the concept um so we can move forward with uh doing state submitts for for the addition and uh and all approvals that we need to begin construction.

All right, comments or questions from the commission? So if I can just kind of jump in here. Um, we did run this by fire EMS and uh the village engineers and none of them had any comments. The addition is going into an area that's already paved. They're not adding any previous surface, so no storm water impacts. Um, we'd recommend approval with with no conditions. I know they've been looking to do something like this for quite a while. They keep getting busier and busier over there. So, Heidi,

yeah, thank you. Um, I have had someone have your catering and they loved it and probably tell more people about party food. So, um, excited to hear about you expanding that. Um, I did have one question. You probably have like a some kind of walk-in cooler now. Would the noise level for any neighbors be any different with this new added area? Like, you know, the refrigerant might make some some kind of noise, but is it going to be much different than what's currently there? No, it really wouldn't be any different than what's there currently. Um, it's really not a change in operation at all. It's just a relocation of of an existing cooler.