By Rich Palzewic
Staff Writer

ALLOUEZ – At its Sept. 15 virtual meeting, the Allouez village board unanimously approved the rezoning of two properties.

The first property, located at 2143 S. Webster Ave. was rezoned from PI-2 (government institution) to GX (office).

The property currently houses Allouez’s community center, which was constructed in 1947 as the village’s government office and water department building.

It’s listed on the State of Wisconsin and National Registers of Historic Places.

In 2016, the property was identified as being underutilized because of its age and interior configuration.

The village has since explored the feasibility of renovating and upgrading the community center to better maximize its usage for programming and rental space but also wanted to preserve its historic and architectural integrity.

“The village recently accepted an offer to purchase on the property,” said Jim Rafter, board president. “The buyer intends to preserve the historic integrity of the building and utilize the space for office use.”

The other area, located at 917 and 923 Derby Lane, was rezoned from MX2 (mixed-use) to NX (multi-family).

Two single-family homes and a gravel parking lot used to occupy the site, but the homes were razed in 2000, and the parking lot was seeded over when the adjacent dialysis clinic was razed in 2015.

Plans include constructing an eight-unit, townhome-style apartment building with a shared driveway on Derby Lane with the daycare to the east.

In other news, the village hired Derek Taylor for its engineering technician opening.

“I’m pleased to announce our search for the opening is over,” said Sean Gehin, public works director. “Derek is a recent graduate of Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in the civil engineering technology program. He also earned a bachelors of science degree in biology from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay in 2017. Derek started Aug. 31, and his roles include design, preparing plans and inspecting construction projects. We are pleased to have him as part of our team.”

The village also applied for a recycling grant from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, which can be done yearly.

In 2020, the village received approximately $98,000 from the program.

“To be eligible for the grant, we need to sign an agreement with Brown County and neighboring communities saying we work collectively together to recycle,” Gehin said.

The grant application was due Oct. 1.