GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – Residents in a northeastern Green Bay neighborhood are speaking out against a proposed development that has sparked outrage as it heads to City Council for consideration.
The planned development is roughly 168 acres in what is currently a field, with room for about 200 single-family homes, which some residents were originally fine with, until the plan also included 10 apartment buildings with roughly 160 units and space for commercial businesses.
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Nearly 20 residents spoke at Monday’s Green Bay Planning Commission meeting, all of whom did so in opposition to the development, for various reasons.
Some residents said they moved to the neighborhood due to the quiet nature and that it’s not too busy, establishing concerns over increased noise and traffic.
District 1 Alder Jennifer Grant released a statement to Local 5’s Paul Steeno, saying that the development is unique but faces challenges. Alder Grant alluded to some of those challenges in the statement.
“The wetlands and a large bluff [are] not visible on the map,” alder Grant said in the statement. “Due to this, the majority of the development flows into the existing neighborhood onto Sussex, which is much of the residents’ concerns.”
Alder Grant also mentioned some of the traffic concerns that had been mentioned by neighbors, particularly regarding school day activity.
“The proposed plan has the denser area, 128 apartment units, connecting very close to the front of the school, which will add to the existing drop off and pick up congestion, creating safety concerns for parents and neighbors,” she said.
Alder Grant’s full statement can be seen below:
“This development is unique and faces some challenges with design due to the wetlands and a large bluff which is not visible on the map. Due to this, the majority of the development flows into the existing neighborhood onto Sussex, which is much of the residents’ concerns. The proposed plan has the denser area, 128 apartment units, connecting very close to the front of the school, which will add to the existing drop off and pick up congestion, creating safety concerns for parents and neighbors. The area is currently zoned for R-1, single family and some 2 family homes. The comprehensive plan, which the city is currently spending $280,000 to rewrite, shows commercial in the southwest corner, as proposed, and then R-1 for the remaining area. This gave residents the understanding that their area will continue to stay single family homes with a few duplexes, which many residents sought this area out for. While the entire area is 168 acres, the developable land is smaller, making the proposed plan under what “could be developed”, but zoning codes specifically state the types of dwellings that should be built in R-1 zones. Multi-family homes are not one of them. We currently have a significant demand for single-family homes, and residents have expressed a desire to see this layout continue within the neighborhood, as outlined in the comprehensive plan.”Green Bay District 1 Alderman Jennifer Grant
One resident specifically mentioned the potential for businesses, mentioning concerns over the way their windows would be directly exposed to the business.
“We’re very concerned about the commercial space, types of business that could occupy that space,” Bobby Jo Taylor of Green Bay said. “Our home faces that, so it exposes our master bedroom, our two front rooms and offices.”
Another resident expressed frustration, arguing that the city shouldn’t be trying to alienate current residents.
“If the city is truly concerned about the current residents and attracting and keeping people from moving to surrounding communities, then it shouldn’t alienate the current residents by improving these rezonings,” Mark of Green Bay said. “The vast majority of residents moved here because it doesn’t have apartments and isn’t zoned to have them in the future.”
The meeting was filled with an extended question and answers session along with the comments from residents. Ultimately, the Green Bay Planning Commission unanimously passed the project along, which will now be considered by the entire Green Bay City Council to decide the fate of the project.
