First look at planned subdivision raises concerns

Early plans for a 100-acre subdivision were criticized by the Grafton Plan Commission last month for being cramped and lacking variety while residents expressed concern over stormwater drainage.

According to concept plans, the Hawk’s Ridge Subdivision will have 130 single-family homes and 28 four-unit buildings.

It will be south of Cedar Creek Road and north of its developer Robert Tillmann’s  under-construction Stonewall Farms development.

Member Mark Paschke said the plans were “not very imaginative,” but simply seemed to fit as many units as possible around wetlands on the property.

He said he hopes Tillmann will bring plans with more variety in lot sizes as the planning process continues.

Chairman and Village President Dan Delorit said larger lot sizes would be preferable, especially considering the small lots at Stonewall Farms.

The board unanimously expressed support for increasing the plan’s focus on single-family lots.

Member and Trustee Mary Pat Fenton said she was “not a fan” of the multifamily buildings, adding that the village is already significantly behind its goal of 64% to 68% single-family housing.

During the meeting, there was some confusion over whether the multifamily buildings would be apartments, which the board vehemently opposed.

Tillmann representative Troy Hartjes of R.A. Smith clarified current plans were for the buildings to be condos.

Delorit said condos are an attractive option for some residents, a sentiment member Jim Brunnquell echoed.

There was some trepidation about the planned location for the multifamily buildings.

Lisa Docter, owner of Thunderhorse Acres, which is adjacent to the proposed development, said she was confused why the buildings would be next to Cedar Creek  Road instead of closer to Highway 60.

The proposed location would generate excessive traffic and be awkwardly placed  in an area that will be surrounded by single-family homes, she said.

Several residents expressed concern over the management of stormwater.

“Is this a situation of doing it and seeing what happens?” resident Jason Loomis asked. He said that while excess water may be directed east to the wetland, it’s usually almost full.

The developer is prepared to work through the storm water issues and already has plans for its management, Hartjes said, including the digging of retention ponds.

“Each step of the way we would work with the village to make sure no one downstream or upstream would be disadvantaged,” he said.

The developer will provide a storm water management plan to address “the extreme groundwater conditions,” the concept plan says.

The concept plans include two road connections  to Cedar Creek Road, one to  Stonewall Farms and two “stubs” to the south and the west.

Brunnquell said he wants clarification from Tillmann on long-term plans regarding the two  unconnected roads.

To facilitate the development, the village would need to annex Town of Cedarburg land.

Community Development Director Jessica Wolff said the town expressed concern over the annexation creating a “town island” that would violate state law.

The village attorney, however, determined it would be legal as the parcel would border both the town and village of Grafton, Wolff said.

The village’s go to zoning standard for developments like Hawk’s Ridge is SF-4, Wolff said, which the conceptual plans did not meet.

While all the proposed lots meet the 10,000 square-foot minimum size in a SF-4 district, 21 of the lots did not have the necessary 75-feet of frontage, plans said.

The board did support the idea of rezoning the district to SF-6 to accommodate the frontage issue.

Brunnquell said he was “surprised” Tillmann brought plans that did not meet SF-4 district requirements.

Tillmann plans to start development on Phase 1, which includes the south-west corner adjacent to Stonewall, in fall.

At the same meeting, the commission sent the Village Board a recommendation to approve a final plat for the 12-lot Harmony Grove Subdivision on North Green Bay Road.

The development’s cul-de-sac has less than the 50 foot minimum radius. However, the village will work with the developers to allow fire trucks U-turn capability while maintaining the lot sizes, Wolff said.