Officials voice support for planned unit development

Fredonia village officials are looking at drawing up a planned unit development (PUD) ordinance that they say would offer more flexibility for developments, such as one proposed north of the Northern Ozaukee School District campus.

“It would give us the ability to address requests like that and have a lot more flexibility,” Village President Don Dohrwardt said at a recent Village Board meeting.

PUDs, which have existed since the 1950s, are a commonly used zoning overlay to promote large-scale, unified land development that can include a mix of uses under a common or related  theme and design. 

It gives more discretion to planners and allows them to temporarily set aside land-use regulations and rigid approval processes.

The proposed Hillcrest Builders project would include about 100 homes on both sides of North Milwaukee Street.

The development would be divided roughly in half, with traditional one-third acre, single-family home lots being built west of North Milwaukee Street and a less conventional development with smaller homes on narrower lots being built east of Milwaukee Street at the end of Deer Meadow Drive.

The developer has not requested that a PUD be formed, but village officials have suggested it might be helpful.

“There’s some urgency because Hillcrest wants to start building,” Dohrwardt said.

Dohrwardt has also suggested a PUD ordinance could be helpful for a downtown renewal plan.

“It could use a little TLC,” Dohrwardt said.

“This is the right way to go. With this, everything gets looked at in a little more detail,” Plan Commission member Rudy McCormick said.

Having PUD zoning would “put another arrow in our quiver,” Public Works Director Roger Strohm said.

A public hearing would have to be held before the ordinance could be approved.

The Village Board directed the Plan Commission to draft an ordinance for review and schedule a public hearing.

The commission is set to discuss the matter at its 7 p.m. meeting Monday, March 2.