Council paves way for sale of city lot, townhouses

Plans to develop the former Port Washington police and fire station properties are moving ahead, with the Common Council last month approving an amendment to the comprehensive plan and map to accommodate a townhouse development.

“This is the first step to rezone this property,” Bob Harris, the city’s director of planning and development, told aldermen.

The property had been zoned as public utility land, but the new B-4 zoning that’s being sought would allow PFD Redevelopment — an entity comprised of Fine Line Carpentry of Port Washington and two partners, Paul Schueller and Peter Herrmann, to create a townhouse development on the 1.4-acre site.

Ald. Deb Postl noted that the rezoning and amendment to the comprehensive plan are needed no matter who develops the land.

Although the agenda called for aldermen to act on the rezoning at the Sept. 15 meeting, that was tabled so the city could post the needed notices for a public hearing on the matter.

The city has been moving quickly on the proposal to redevelop the site of the former police and fire stations, which have been vacant since the two departments moved to the new public safety building on the west side of the city.

There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the public safety building at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 11.

Following the ceremony, the public will get its first look at the building during an open house that will run until 1 p.m.

The city has been planning for the $31.9 million public safety building for years. Construction began in May 2025, and the departments moved into the new structure in August. 

Even before the departments moved, however, the city selected PFD Redevelopment to create The Seven Hills Collection at their former home in downtown.

Plans for the development show there will be 20 townhouses in nine buildings — eight buildings of two units and one of four units — with a public courtyard and green space.

Four different, complementary designs will be used for the buildings, which would vary from three to four stories. Units range from 2,175 square feet to 2,817 square feet.

The developer’s agreement calls for PFD Redevelopment to begin site improvements by June 1, 2027, with completion set for Dec. 31, 2029.

If the developer doesn’t begin work on time, the city can terminate the agreement with written notice, the agreement states.

The agreement also specifies that the developer will pay impact fees to finance improvements to city facilities such as the wastewater treatment plant, parks, the public safety building and library intended to serve future residents.

The city is selling the property to PFD Redevelopment for $465,000, but the city will reimburse the developer for the cost of moving and burying power lines to the property and demolishing the police and fire stations — a clause reiterated in the developer’s agreement.

These costs are capped at $464,999, so if the costs meet or exceed the cap, the city will net $1 for the sale of the property.