Plan Commission Revisiting Oakland Apartment Parking Exception

SHOREWOOD, WI — The Shorewood Plan Commission will revisit a special parking exception submitted for a luxury apartment building proposed on Oakland Avenue at its meeting Tuesday.

The decision is whether or not to allow developer Wimmer Properties to construct the building with fewer parking spaces than a village rule would otherwise require. The request, and others like it, have come under fire from some Shorewood residents.

Complaints about the possibility of limiting street parking in an area that is already congested have been submitted to the Plan Commission in recent months. As it currently stands, new development in Shorewood must abide by a minimum number of parking spots per unit. With the special exception, the developer would be able to create fewer parking spots.

A decision on the request was originally scheduled to take place in July. Members of the Plan Commission opted to defer the discussion, though, citing a need for more public involvement.

"Almost everyone has two cars. It would be a mess for that neighborhood. Make them dig down another parking floor," Donald E. Sorensen wrote to the commission, Patch previously reported. "Or cancel it."

With its proposal, developer Wimmer Properties conducted a parking study and found in its own opinion that the proposed number of parking spots, 44, would be sufficient.

The building would have 43 apartments total, all one or two-bedroom. In the proposal, developers said the apartments would target older Shorewood residents and young career-motivated professionals.

Among the written complaints about the proposal one person, a village trustee, was in favor of the development, but with conditions:

"I welcome the redevelopment of that site, I appreciate the work the developer has put into its proposal, and think there are many intriguing elements in the plan," Jim Arndorfer, who is also a Shorewood Village Trustee, wrote to the Plan Commission.

"However, unless the developer can address two considerations, I would request that the Plan Commission turns down the special exception," Arndorfer wrote.

"First, I’m troubled by the lack of affordable units in the development. This is out of step with the community’s clearly expressed desire for increasing affordable housing options... ...I’m concerned that granting the exception will have a negative impact on parking in a part of our community"

Shorewood's struggle with parking is not unique. A similar apartment building proposed for Capitol Drive also came under critique from residents, mostly citing concerns with parking.

A recent report from The Journal Sentinel dives into how municipalities across the nation are doing away with parking regulations for new development. In the report, Donald Shoup, a professor in the Department of Urban Planning at UCLA, said many municipalities are getting rid of regulations to avoid the harms they bring.

Shoup is also the author of a book, "The High Cost of Free Parking."

Shorewood is currently in the process of doing away with its own parking regulations.

Attend the virtual meeting on Tuesday here.