By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
A proposal to convert a portion of Tripp Street into a private drive and take it off Whitewater’s official grid system has been nixed.
After receiving feedback from surrounding property owners and presenting the prospect to members of the Plan and Architectural Review Commission, City Planner Chris Munz-Pritchard described the issue as “dead in the water.”
This summer, city officials began drawing up plans to convert South Tripp Street into a private drive area, between Whitewater and James streets. The plan entailed creating a dead end to public traffic on South Tripp Street at the James Street intersection. James Street, in turn, was to have been the outlet.
When it came time to deliberating on the plans, commissioners roundly voted against the plans at a Sept. 12 meeting.
“We got such negative feedback (before the meeting),” Munz-Pritchard said. “We won’t be proceeding with this.”
As it customarily does, the city sent notices to surrounding property owners, informing them of the proposed changes.
In other recent business, commissioners:
– Modified a previously issued conditional-use permit for First English Lutheran Church, 413-417 Main St. Church leaders are proposing a few minor tweaks to the property, mainly with a few detached garages and surrounding parking areas.
First English is removing two existing garages and replacing the structures with a singular building. Additionally, the church is being required to add a parking stall for handicapped persons in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
– Approved a request to expand an ancillary facility at the LSP cogeneration site at 111 Highway U. LSP, a subsidiary of the American Transmission Company, operates a control house within an electrical substation area.
“The expansion will double the size of the existing control house from 16 feet-by-10 feet to 16-feet-by-20-feet,” Munz-Pritchard said.
LSP’s manufacturing facility is within an area of the city zoned for planned development and is located on land near Whitewater’s borders with the Town of Cold Spring in Jefferson County.
Beyond the building expansion, there are no changes in the company’s operations plans within the site.
– Approved a few tweaks linked to the planned development zoning designation assigned to Prairie Village housing project at Burr Oak Trail and Highway U.
Commissioners’ most recent review of Prairie Village was linked to reconfigured utility accommodations.
A year ago, representatives of Fairhaven Senior Services, the organization overseeing Prairie Village, announced a series of changes to previously submitted plans, including the construction of a community center and a shift in where specifically some of the housing units would be located.
Commissioners approved the amendments during last year’s review, but a subsequent peek into the plans revealed accommodations were needed for easements for the utility-related infrastructure.
– Approved property owner Mike Kachel’s request to convert a single-family home at 168 N. Tratt St. into a duplex.
The property is located within an area of the city zoned for multifamily residence. Since a zoning change was not needed to convert the home, commissioners had final say in the request. It did not have to advance to the Common Council.
