By Kevin Boneske
Staff Writer
ASHWAUBENON – Despite the concerns raised about traffic from business people and a traffic engineer, the Ashwaubenon village board unanimously approved an ordinance Tuesday, Dec. 18, to create a planned unit development (PUD) overlay zoning district for Phase II of the Titletown District west of Lambeau Field.
Ashwaubenon Community Development Director Aaron Schuette informed the board that the Phase II project, located on 20.69 acres of land immediately west of where the Titletown District’s Phase I development has taken place, calls for a mixture of residential and commercial buildings, along with surface and “podium” parking, plaza and green space areas.
Schuette said the village wants to connect pedestrian traffic to the west with the Phase II development by having a sidewalk along the Lombardi Access frontage road at some point in the future.
“Along those lines of pedestrian access, there is a documented need for some improved pedestrian connections at Ridge Road,” he said. “Where there’s a current yellow flashing system, we are recommending that goes to a full red light, flashing red light HAWK system, to have a stop condition for traffic. At this point traffic does not necessarily stop for pedestrians.”
Schuette said other conditions of approval as recommended by village staff include:
• Coordinating with the Ashwaubenon Department of Public Safety regarding a development agreement for planned public improvements to Brookwood Drive and Marlee Lane.
• Coordinating with the village’s Public Works Department regarding state and local storm water management requirements.
• Using the “Titletown Phase II – Fire Protection Diagram” as the approved plan to be included with the PUD submission site drawings.
• Providing detailed landscape plans when submitting for individual building site plan approvals.
• Determining the appropriate means to access and maintain the planned landscaping on the south side of the fencing for the townhomes on the south side of Brookwood Drive.
• Including additional bicycle parking at the “M” entrance to the podium parking.
Michael Cantor of Sterling Project Development, the project manager for the Titletown District, spoke during the public hearing in favor of PUD.
“What you’re seeing is representing over a $100 million project investment that we’re looking to put forth to complete Phase II and to grow upon the energy and synergy that I think people have seen in Phase I with Hinterland and Lodge Kohler and Bellin and with the Titletown Tech building,” Cantor said.
Titletown Development LLC, the Green Bay Packers’ real estate development arm, formally announced plans Oct. 3 for the Phase II business and residential real estate development.
The plans call for building the residences at the site along Brookwood Drive and including an apartment building and different styles of townhomes available for ownership.
An office building, planned along Lombardi Avenue and Marlee Lane, would consist of approximately 130,000 square feet of space and feature capacity for up to 400 workers.
In addition to the office building, the project plans for Phase II also include another approximately 100,000 square feet for future development, which could involve retail, food and beverage and entertainment.
To address concerns about storm water from property owners who live south of Brookwood Drive, Cantor said “we’re going to be fixing that.”
“It’s a condition that I know existed before we came into town and purchased those properties,” he said. “I understand some people feel the condition worsened after taking hold of it. Our plan is to comprehensively fix that.”
The three individuals who expressed concerns about how the Phase II development would affect traffic to the west, particularly along Marlee Lane, spoke during the public hearing.
Wayne Higgins, who established the firm Traffic Engineering Services in Elm Grove, said high levels of traffic along Marlee Lane could be expected with Titletown’s Phase II development.
Higgins suggested having the gas station and shopping center driveways on the west side of Marlee Lane be combined as one driveway across the street from the Titletown access.
“It just makes a much safer condition,” he said.
Tim Kuehn, who noted he developed those two commercial properties in 2002 and also owns Margarita’s restaurant at 1241 Lombardi Access Road, said he was for the Titletown Phase II development, but wanted to make sure it was done properly.
“I want to make sure you guys are going through the proper steps, that there’s not a congestion area in there,” Kuehn said.
Kuehn harshly criticized past and present village officials for how they have handled development in the Titletown area and the impact on nearby properties.
“Thus far, the village of Ashwaubenon has been very short-sighted in their approach,” he said. “In my estimation, you have used a head-in-the-sand approach.”
Kuehn further said the village has been following, rather than leading the Green Bay Packers.
“This is not the village of Green Bay Packers,” he said. “It’s the village of Ashwaubenon.”
Kuehn said he didn’t ask for the Titletown District to come to the village, though his property has been placed in it.
“To say that the Packers don’t have to do anything is a reasonable answer is not acceptable,” he said. “An increase in traffic from the Titletown District will obviously increase and worsen the conflict points that Mr. Higgins talked about. It will lead to public safety issues.”
Dan Pamperin, a member of the village’s Site Plan Review Committee who voted against the PUD and owns property at 1221 Lombardi Access Road, said at the public hearing he didn’t want to stand in the way of the Titletown District, but also expressed concerns about the impact the development could have on traffic.
“I think we’re putting an awful lot of stuff in this area without taking a very good look at the traffic ramifications that are going to happen,” Pamperin said.
Upon conclusion of the public hearing, Trustee Mark Williams responded to comments made by Kuehn, noting Williams was not party to previous meetings Kuehn referenced.
“It’s not fair to us to accuse us of not doing our jobs when we didn’t know anything about it,” Williams said. “No. 2, I don’t think threats are going to get very far. It’s working with us and trying to develop this plan (on) Marlee Lane is what’s going to help us out.”
Williams went on to say the idea of combining a driveway on the west side of Marlee Lane, as mentioned during the public hearing, was only the second time he heard about that proposal.
“There’s no reason that the village of Ashwaubenon or anybody sitting up here would have had that inkling that was even on the table between the two landowners that are over there,” he said.
Village President Mary Kardoskee said the issue before the board related to the PUD for Phase II of the Titletown development.
“When it comes to the west side of Marlee, after the first of the year, to get the landowners there, to get everybody together, then we can sit down and discuss it,” Kardoskee said. “That’s my job. That’s what I will do. But that’s not what we’re voting on tonight. Tonight we’re voting on the Packer PUD.”
Upon approval of the PUD by the board, ground is scheduled to be broken next spring for Phase II of the Titletown District.