Board OKs plan for smaller Port townhouse development

Two major changes to a townhouse development on the north side of East Jackson Street in Port Washington’s marina district were approved by the city’s Design Review Board Tuesday.

The building, which is located to be built between the bike trail and the Light Station staircase, was moved away from the steps and the number of units was decreased from nine to eight.

Instead of six feet between the building and the staircase, there is now about 24 feet,  Bob Harris, the city’s director of planning and development, said. 

That happened because the far western unit was eliminated from the plan, a result of adjustments that had to be made for the retaining wall that will be constructed behind the building, he said.

John Lanser, who is developing the townhouses with his wife Jan, said they would have had to replace the stairs in order to make the original design for the retaining wall work.

“The cost — it just wasn’t doable,” he told the board.

The change will not only accommodate the desire of officials who feared the original design would make people using the staircase feel uncomfortable, it will also provide them with striking lake views, he said.

“You’re going to see past the steps,” he said.

“I like it,” board member Jeremy Hartline said. “It’ll be a lot nicer for people using the steps.”

While the building design is largely unchanged, the western-most unit has been redesigned to be a mirror of the eastern-most unit, Harris noted, adding a symmetry to the structure.

The board recommended the changes to the building site plan be approved by the Plan Commission, which will also consider rezoning for the project when it meets at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15.

The building, which sports a contemporary facade, is intended to be a transition between the traditional architecture of downtown Port and the modern design of the proposed Newport Shores development further east on Lake Street.

Lanser said that construction of the retaining wall is expected to begin as soon as possible after the rezoning takes place.

Depending on the weather, he said, work on the basement of the building could also begin this winter.