Red-D-Mix Concrete planning new batch plant in Ashwaubenon

By Kevin Boneske

Staff Writer

ASHWAUBENON – Plans for a new batch plant at the existing Red-D-Mix Concrete site at 2885 Allied St. are being forwarded to the village board for final approval July 28.

On July 7, the Ashwaubenon Site Plan Review Committee approved a site plan for locating the new batch plant immediately east of the existing one, and the village’s Plan Commission recommended approval of a conditional use permit (CUP) to do so.

Community Development Director Aaron Schuette said the permit would allow for a more efficient and cleaner replacement plant.

Schuette said a new silo with a total height of 74 feet will be located on top of the new batch plant.

Though the height will be under the 120-foot limit for the area, he said the property is within Airport Zone C and the silo exceeds 50 feet which requires a permit from Austin Straubel International Airport prior to obtaining a village building permit.

Schuette said the batch plant replacement will also include closing the existing northern driveway entrance on Allied Street, along with curb patching and extending the concrete wall, where arborvitae evergreens will be planted 25 feet apart.

“The routing of trucks will come off of Allied, head north through the yard and then actually exit the yard onto Circle Drive,” he said.

Schuette said the current concrete plant is considered a legal, non-conforming use, because it existed prior to the zoning ordinance being in effect, and any expansion of that use requires being brought into conformance with the zoning code.

He said a CUP is required for a concrete plant within the I-2 Heavy Industry Zoning District.

Though Red-D-Mix applied for a CUP in 2004, Schuette said it was never approved because of neighborhood complaints and issues with dust from the plant.

“Since that time, Red-D-Mix has put in quite a few improvements to the property,” he said. “In the last 10 years, as far back as we can go anyway, there have been no dust-related complaints, so I don’t see a problem with the new batch plant request for a conditional use permit.”

Schuette said the conditions of approval include continuing to maintain controls to minimize dust and noise from leaving the site, and keeping the hours of operation to between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m., based upon the plant’s typical operational day.

Red-D-Mix President Brian Kowalkowski said the new plant would allow the company to handle the same amount of trucks per day, but do it more efficiently by loading more per hour.

“Our yardage fluctuates from year to year, the way it is based on the economy, basically,” he said.

Transitional facility zoning

Transitional facilities would no longer be allowed in areas zoned I-2 Heavy Industry under an amendment backed by the Plan Commission.

Schuette said the amendment is a follow-up to a recommendation the commission made in May to add a shelter facility definition to the village zoning code.

A shelter facility is defined as a “temporary place of lodging for homeless individuals or homeless families.”

Schuette said the village board found I-2 Heavy Industry was not an appropriate location for a shelter facility.

“The reason shelter facility was included in I-2 (in the commission’s recommendation) was because it would be consistent with a transitional facility, which allows for transitional facilities in R-3 Multi-Family (Residential), I-1 Light Industry and I-2 Heavy Industry,” he said.

Schuette said the board decided to allow shelter facilities as a conditional use in R-3 and I-1 zoning districts, but not I-2.

“At that (board) meeting I was directed to follow up to take transitional facility out of the I-2 Heavy Industry district, because quite honestly, it’s not an appropriate use to have people living in a heavy industry zoning district,” he said. “So, this is just a cleanup from that.”

Schuette said there currently are no transitional facilities in areas of the village zoned I-2.

He said the proposed zoning amendment is being forwarded to the board for final approval July 28.

Element CSM

A two-lot certified survey map (CSM) to split off a buildable lot for The Element luxury apartment development was also approved by the commission.

Schuette said the CSM creates two new lots, one for building No. 3, for which the board approved a site plan in March, and the remainder for future development of buildings No. 4 and 5.

He said all the parcels would remain zoned VC-Village Center with a PUD overlay.

Schuette said the CSM requires approval by the Brown County Planning Commission.

The Element could have as many as five buildings consisting of 350 luxury apartments constructed with the PUD.

Located on the north side of Marvelle Lane between Holmgren Way and Oneida Street, the multi-phased redevelopment project is the collaboration between Slinde Realty Company, FCM Corporation and the Village of Ashwaubenon.