By Joshua Staloch
Correspondent
ALLOUEZ – The Allouez village board decided Tuesday, Jan. 7, to grant a conditional use permit to SKB Terrace, LLC for the planned development of a pair of nine-unit apartment buildings on Riverside Drive in the vacant property south of Compassus near St. Mary’s Boulevard.
Interested community members voiced concerns about the proposal, which will share property lines with single family homes on St. Mary’s as well as Tam O’Shanter Court.
Increased traffic and dangers to pedestrian safety were at the top of the list of topics discussed.
The development will be adding residents to an already heavily-trafficked area of the village.
Residents wondered if the driveway which will service both apartment buildings is going to be big enough to accommodate safe access.
A panel of administrators confirmed the site plan currently on file for the project appears to meet state requirements.
Local residents spoke about fears the new development will make the area’s flooding problems more prevalent than they are now.
The board pointed out the project will still have go through more steps before construction begins.
Karen Classon, owner of SKB Management, said the firm is working with the area’s best engineers to make sure the planned upscale apartment complexes operate in harmony with the existing neighborhood.
Classon, with the help of Trevor Fuller, planning and zoning administrator, highlighted the company’s plan for a large retention pond at the southeast corner of the property as a solution to the problem.
“I wouldn’t want to see a new development there that would make current conditions in Mother Nature even worse,” said Village Board president Jim Rafter. “So I would suggest that if this were to go forward, and tonight’s vote is not a rubber stamp, I would hope that the retention pond would be designed in such a way to help all its neighbors with that problem and surely not make anything worse.”
The permit for the apartment buildings unanimously voted forward contingent on the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s approval of the driveway plans once they are finalized by engineers.
Superintendent search
Green Bay school board trustee Eric Vanden Heuvel gave an update on the district’s search for a new superintendent and emphasized, as one of the communities served by GBAPS, Allouez is encouraged to participate in the process.
There are more than 25 applicants for the position.
The board of education will soon be narrowing the field down to between six and 10 candidates who will be brought in for formal interviews Jan. 27-28.
From there, the board will reach a consensus on who the top two or three candidates are and will be required by state statute to inform the public of the finalists.
Once that stage of the process is reached, there will be full-day, public interviews where the candidates will be brought into the district to meet with as many groups and interested parties as possible.
These extended interviews will be taking place Feb. 16-18, and village board members were urged to attend and provide the school board with their takeaways.
“We have a lot to be excited and proud about in the Green Bay school district, and we have our fair share of challenges,” said Vanden Heuvel. “This person is going to come in and be asked to do a very difficult job. If we can build some collaboration on the front end, that will help. Part of what we’re doing now is to start to build some support for that person. We’d love for as many people as possible to participate in this process.”
Leaf vacuum
This year’s budget includes funds for the purchase of a used garbage truck to be retrofitted with a leaf vacuum system.
The only quote was from MacQueen Equipment at $54,348.
The quoted price of the unit is within what the board had originally agreed to spend on the purchase, and the motion to go forward at that price was unanimously approved.
The Salvation Army Kroc Center Donut 5k Fun Run will take place June 6.
The Kroc Center will be renting the Green Isle Park Pavilion and will be using field space for the event.
Rafter said the Kroc Center hopes to make the Donut 5k an annual event in the village.
Finally, the board recognized the passing of James Effland, a former Allouez municipal court judge as well as a Green Bay school board trustee.
Also receiving recognition were Mike Denissen and William Laird for their years of service as yard waste site attendants.