PRESENT: Chm. Mayor Halverson; Karen Aldinger; Ald.Jerry Moore; Tony Patton; Fred Steffen (Excused, Ann Shannon and Lois Feldman)

ALSO PRESENT: Comm. Dev. Dir. John Gardner; Parks Dir. John Gardner; Assessor, James Siebers; Ald. Myers; Hanson; Slowinski; Trzebiatowski; Stroik and Brooks; Bernard Landerman; Dona Fisher; Nena Henaman; Chad Fisher; Steve Chizzo; Frank Sciarrone; LeRoy Cordy; Joe/Jamy Kolpotic; Bridget Stafford; Sean Shopinski; Jason Glisczynski; Len Olbrantz; Bill/Julie Olsen; Ani/Julie Tamayo; Salvation Army Capt. Leanna Tuttle; Jared Redfield; Rich Peerenboom; Frank Fink; Bill Yudchitz; Bob Quam; John /Lisa Farye; Sarah Robinson; Thomas Miller; Travis Haines; Paul Drake, Dale O'Kray; Brad Knecht; Shannon Rohde; Stephanie Hanser; Chris Haka; Tim Schierl; Reid Rocheleau; Bill Yudchitz; Gene Kemmeter, Po. Co. Gazette; Jason Zencka, Stevens Point Journal

Index of these Minutes:

1. Approval of the Minutes of the April 7, 2008 Plan Commission Meeting
2. Conditional Use Request to Operate a Tavern at 2124 Rice Street
3. Conditional Use Request for Electronic Amusement Business - 1036 Main Street
4. Conditional Use - Salvation Army Addition - 1600 Briggs St.
5. Proposal to Renovate Goerke Stadium
6. Request of Police Department to Place Radio Tower/Service Building in Goerke Park
7. Lot Split Request - Bonnie Bay Ct. - Bernard Landerman
8. Conditional Use to Operate a Tavern at the following: A. Rhody's - 2301 Church St. B. Holiday Inn - 1001 Amber Ave. C. Pete's Sports Bar - 200 Division St.

Chm. Halverson read correspondence from Ann Mosey of the Arts Alliance which invited planners and local government representatives to an open town meeting on Thursday, May 15 at the Riverfront Arts Center to view examples of public art and discuss the Public Art Master Plan grant they recently received.

1. Approval of the Minutes of the April 7, 2008 Plan Commission Meeting

Jerry Moore moved, seconded by Tony Patton, to recommend approval of the April 7, 2008 Plan Commission minutes. Ayes all; Nays none; Motion carried.

2. Conditional Use Request to Operate a Tavern at 2124 Rice Street

Jason Glisczynski, petitioner, noted it is his intention to put money back into the community by rehabilitating a disheveled property. He proposes to remodel the building into a sports facility for indoor basketball and volleyball courts with an addition for a lounge where people can purchase protein shakes, bottled water, fruit, and alcohol. The back portion of the building is occupied by Elite Muscle and Fitness. He understands that the alcohol might be a concern; however their hours would be shortened from typical bar hours. He intends to create jobs and spend a significant amount of dollars. He wants to provide people that are interested in athletics with a facility that they can use and enjoy.

John Gardner provided aerial photos and stated the item is here because of the tavern. They are proposing to split the lot and sell the extra lot. The intent is to share parking with the new lot especially during special events. The petitioner also proposes to have large events such as wedding receptions with food brought in as well as occasional band performances. Concerns are with noise from the inside as well as in the parking lot. They propose to include sound insulation around the roof and walls of the building.

There are two available liquor licenses available in the city and the City has applications for both. Criteria used for evaluating the applications in the past has been based on the value being produced by the license, the number of jobs created, and whether it is in a tax increment district. The Plan Commission and Public Protection Committee need to decide if this project is the one to give the limited license to or hold out for something better.

The following neighbors have indicated they have no problem with just the basketball and volleyball courts, but expressed concern with noise, parking, and increased traffic, and were opposed to the tavern in a residential neighborhood with a school nearby:

LeRoy Cordy - 2147 Rice St.
Julie Olson - 2809 Cleveland Ave.
Joe & Jane Klopotic - 2209 Rice St.

Reid Rocheleau, 408 Cedar St., noted if this fellow wants to invest a lot of money into the building, the city has to do something with the traffic at Rice St./Bus. 51. The city has talked about connecting Rice St. with Whiting Ave. for years and now is the time to address this.

Mike Richter, 1908 Vermont Ave., stated he is part of the volleyball community and is in favor of this. He feels there is some misconception as far as the bar atmosphere. Mr. Glisczynski's primary focus will be on sports and recreation. He doesn't foresee anyone staying around drinking excessively; many of them have families and don't want to stay out drinking.

Ald. Brooks stated he wants to thank Jason for being so proactive and flexible with this project. It is the first time he has seen a developer come to the alderpersons and the community first and invite the neighborhood to a meeting. The traffic will increase on Rice St. because the proposal is to close the driveway onto Cleveland Ave. He feels the bar is needed to make some money and if Jason could do it without the bar, he probably would.

Lynell Martens, stated she is part of the volleyball community and a teacher in the district. The impression is sort of skewed because the hours are only until midnight. The clientele in general is different and the players need to be to work at 7 or 8 in the morning.

Ald. Trzebiatowski stated there seems to be a misconception with the type of clientele the developer is looking at. The hours of operation probably will be the exception to the rule. He hopes the Plan Commission gives him some consideration.

Jason Glisczynski noted the bar area would be around 4,000 sq.ft. Any band would play in the volleyball area. They are hoping for a full liquor license. We intend to berm up along the residential sides of the property to defer some of the noise, resurface and repair the parking lot, paint the building a uniform color with the addition to be brick. They plan to work with acoustic engineers to meet any decibel requirements that the city wants. It is critical that neighbors not be disturbed.

Karen Aldinger applauds Jason for his interest in rehabbing one of our older buildings, but she has questions about the necessity of the bar. Would the sports facility not be feasible without the bar.

Jason Glisczynski responded if the sports facility was existing and all he had to do was put his shingle out, it would be a green light. When you talk about putting over a million dollars into a property just to make it functional, the bar does become part of the bottom line. We would post signage that does not allow loitering and staff would enforce it.

Fred Steffen noted if the city were to someday align Rice St. and Whiting Ave., the green area at the northwest corner of your lot could be used for additional parking if needed. Could you make it on beer and wine without a full liquor license?

Jerry Moore questioned if the alcohol will make that much of a difference. He is concerned with future owners having the tavern.

Jason Glisczynski responded it is possible to run this business without alcohol, it may be feasible to run this business without alcohol, but it is 100% necessary to include the alcohol because it is additional revenue. He is 30 years old and it is his intention to hold this business until he is 60.

Tony Patton moved, seconded by Karen Aldinger, to recommend approval of the conditional use request to operate a tavern at 2124 Rice St., with the following conditions: 1) the building must be modified with materials specifically designed to muffle or contain noise/music inside the building, 2) screening in the form of berms shall be installed on the Rice St. and Cleveland Ave. sides of the lot - berms to be at least 5 ft. in height and must be finished with grass or landscaping, 3) entrances shall be arranged in a manner that patrons under the age of 21 will not be admitted, 4) live band concerts held on the premises shall be limited to an 11 p.m. ending of the music performance. DJ or band activity shall cease at 10 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday and 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. The tavern/lounge shall close at midnight on Sunday through Thursday nights and 2 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday mornings. 5) the business must be operated in a manner that music heard from outside the building does not unreasonably disturb the peace and enjoyment of the residential neighborhood, 6) the business must be operated in a manner that patrons must be prevented from congregating outdoors in a manner that would unreasonably disturb the peace and enjoyment of the residential neighborhood, 7) doors shall be kept closed so that noise does not unreasonably disturb the peace and enjoyment of the residential neighborhood, 8) the exterior of the building, including the tavern expansion, shall be improved as shown on the attached plans, 9) the approval is until December 31, 2009 at which time the approval shall expire. Mr. Patton added that the resolution finds the request to be consistent with conditional use standards.

Chm. Halverson noted his concern is that the acoustical engineering side of this issue has not been answered. We cannot give an exact decibel level. He is concerned with the closeness of this project to residences to the south and east. At the same time, he very much applauds Mr. Glisczynski for considering this building. It would be a great addition to the community to have it revitalized. How do we get more specific on sound deadening numbers if we don't have decibel readings? The intent is to make that building very soundproof.

Jason Glisczynski responded he doesn't have that specific data because it costs money to develop those plans. He is trying to get as far as he can to make sure this project will go forward before he lays out too much cash for building planning. He will enlist the services of an acoustical engineer to provide the data to you.

Chm. Halverson suggested voting on the conditional use tonight with the understanding that you will provide acoustical design information (for normal operation and special events) to the Council addressing the specifics, the materials, and the installation, knowing that final approval will rest with the Council.

Ayes all; Nays none; Motion carried.

3. Conditional Use Request for Electronic Amusement Business - 1036 Main Street

John Gardner stated the request is for an electronic gaming place in a coffee house setting with computer games for rent by the hour. The owners have assured us they will address patron activities on site and off site as they arise.

Chad Fisher, applicant, stated he proposes a low key coffee house/video gaming business named Tech Lounge LLC. The hours of operation would be from noon - midnight. He feels the clientele will range from 16-25 years of age and the gaming will be quiet with Internet gamers wearing headphones to play the games. They will have a large assortment of the latest games with gaming consoles.

Fred Steffen moved, seconded by Tony Patton, to recommend approval of the conditional use for an electronic amusement business at 1036 Main Street until December 31, 2009 with the condition that loitering and other nuisance activities be controlled inside and in front of or near the entrance to 1036 Main Street. Mr. Steffen added that the resolution finds the request to be consistent with conditional use standards.
Ayes all; Nays none; Motion carried.

4. Conditional Use - Salvation Army Addition - 1600 Briggs St.

John Gardner reviewed the proposal and stated the request is to create a women's bathroom and add a 982 sq. ft. dining space and remodel the kitchen which will allow them to expand the dining room to seat more people at meal time. The Salvation Army has indicated they will not increase the overnight quarters.

Capt. Tuttle, 1600 Briggs St., stated the project is way past due. Our current dining room holds about 20-30 people, is very crowded, and sometimes they have to eat in shifts. Annually, we serve around 30,000 people.

Tony Patton moved, seconded by Karen Aldinger, to recommend approval of the conditional use request of the Salvation Army to expand their building at 1600 Briggs St. with the following conditions: 1) approval for the existing building only. Any addition or expansion of the building shall require a review of the conditional use permit, 2) a maximum of 35 overnight clients be allowed at any one time, 3) all necessary parking to be provided on site, 4) twenty four hour supervision be provided by the Salvation Army staff, 5) conditional use permit to be issued to the Salvation Army as the operator of the Transitional Housing Project. Any transfer of ownership or operation shall void this permit and shall require a new review by the Common Council, 6) city staff shall inspect the building and the owner shall make improvements necessary to make the building comply with building codes prior to occupancy, 7) the operator shall have a method for recording and resolving complaints by neighbors pertaining to the operations of the program or maintenance of the facilities. Complaints not resolved within 30 days shall b;e brought to the attention of city officials who shall investigate and attempt to mediate the complaint and develop a method to avoid future problems. Problems not mediated shall be brought before the Public Protection Committee and Common Council for final consideration. 8) the city reserves the right to review the conditional use approval at any time for large group homes. If the city finds clear and convincing evidence that the large group home is violating the terms of approval or finds that the group home poses a threat to the health, safety, or welfare of the neighborhood or the residents of the city, the Common Council may order the group home to cease operation. Mr. Patton added that the resolution finds the request to be consistent with conditional use standards.

Jerry Moore asked if they are planning to expand the sleeping area now or in the future.

Capt. Tuttle responded they are not planning on that at this point. They had a chance to purchase the house on the corner but they do not have the funding for that.

Fred Steffen suggested amending #2 of the conditions to read as "a maximum of 35 overnight clients". The motion was amended.

John Gardner noted there is a technical issue on parking. When you add space on to a building, you should also provide parking according to the ordinance. The choices are to request a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals, park in the garage, or remove the garage and create parking.

Bill Yudchitz stated the reality is that the remodeling has to be done in phases while still feeding people. The garage storage will no longer be needed upon completion of the project.

Karen Aldinger noted many of the people that eat at the facility do not have vehicles and some use public transportation. They provide a critical service to the community.

Ayes all; Nays none; Motion carried.

5. Proposal to Renovate Goerke Stadium

Tom Schrader stated he and Tim Schierl are here to go over the proposed physical changes to playing area at Goerke Stadium. They propose to replace the existing grass field with artificial turf, add entrance ways, add bleachers on either side of the existing stadium, construct a locker room/changing area, re-do the running pits, and re-surface the track. The Park Commission voted not to approve the additional parking lot shown on the drawing.

Chm. Halverson questioned why the parking lot is not approved. If we are going to do this tremendous project to the stadium and the skateboard park is constructed, you would lose the parking area currently used for football. How will you accommodate 6,000 people at multiple events.

Tom Schrader responded neighbors attended the meeting and the reasons for deleting the parking lot were the loss of green space, the loss of athletic fields that kids are using now, litter, noise, plowing at night, and screening. We won't lose all the parking south of the stadium to the skateboard park.

Ald. Trzebiatowski questioned whether the proposed north parking area would be the entire area?

Tom Schrader responded the parking area would be the whole practice field but the bike path would remain. Drainage from the parking lot would have to be addressed.

Chm. Halverson noted if this is approved, the parking lot must be part of the consideration and very aggressive screening south of the bike path must also be included. He doesn't see how this Commission could look at this, knowing the potential attraction it will be, without figuring out how to deal with parking.

Jerry Moore agreed. This area of the city is notorious for parking problems.

Chm. Halverson publicly thanked Tim Schierl for all he has done for this project.

Ald. Hanson noted the northern-most 50' strip from the skating rink to the west would make a nice buffer line.

Reid Rocheleau noted with all these plans, this would be an opportune time for a parking ramp and get the cars out of the neighborhood.

Steve Chizzo, 2525 Prais St., suggested exchanging the proposed parking area to the north and the skateboard park area to the south. The skateboard area would require less parking and we would not lose quality green space. The expansion and renovation of Goerke Park is a wonderful community project. With the artificial turf comes more use. The building should have a second locker room to accommodate when there are several teams following each other. The bleacher addition to the stone stadium should be thought out a little more so the design is more aesthetically pleasing with the stone.

Tom Schrader noted they had planned to blend the new bleachers in with the current stone structure so that the neighbors don't have to look at the underside of aluminum bleachers. If we were to move the parking lot down to the skateboard park area, it would eliminate the existing shot put and discus area. It would also eliminate all the winter skating. The P.J. parking lot is used totally when there are games. The Park Commission has looked at this park pretty extensively.

Chm. Halverson noted knowing that the area to the west of the Willett Arena would be the least impacted by the creation of a parking lot and is exactly the reason why it should be in that area.

Bridget Stafford, 2509 Prais St., noted the expansion is a good idea for the community, but she is concerned about not having a minimally-acceptable parking lot screening plan. The parking lot needs at least as much attention as Goerke field. There is plenty of asphalt already.
She likes the idea of taking the western (northern) edge of Willett Arena and drawing a line across as a compromise northern limit to the parking lot.

Chm. Halverson stated if this is approved, our motion will include the height of berms, amount and type of screening and it will then be the landscape architects job to conform to the conditions. Stormwater drainage is key and he expects to see some level of permeable pavers that would be used for stormwater infiltration.
The university plan for a stadium on campus is for 20 years from now. Our plan is to do this now because the needs are now. The other plan would be the creation of a sinking fund that would deal with the perpetual care of the turf which would have to be replaced in 15-17 years. This proposal is not something that is mutually exclusive to the university plan. The university is kicking this around internally as to what their level of commitment will be. They are agreeing to participate which is excellent.
He would like to grant Dir. Gardner the flexibility to devise the conditions would be for the proposed parking lot to the north. We will need language that will speak to either a 50 foot cushion and/or the space demonstrated due north from a line straight west from the northwest corner of the Willett Arena straight to the Mid State parking lot keeping that area to the north of said line open as a cushion as well as berming, fencing, species that would be on top of the berm either north or south of the southern-most line of that boundary knowing that we want to keep a very healthy distance between the berm and the back yards of the homes. That will need specific language.

Fred Steffen moved, seconded by Karen Aldinger, to recommend approval of the proposal to renovate Goerke Stadium as presented based on additional conditions and information specifically placed on the parking lot proposed to the west of Willett Arena that will relate to a cushion of land as well as berming and screening which will be presented to the Common Council for their review. Ayes all; Nays none; Motion carried.

6. Request of Police Department to Place Radio Tower/Service Building in Goerke Park

Tom Schrader stated the Park Commission looked at three possible sites: 1) along the south edge of Minnesota Ave., 2) behind the recreation center wing, and 3) centrally located in the park. The Commission selected the sites in the following order: #3, #2, and #1. They were looking for a site the farthest away from all neighbors and in the center of the park. U. S. Cellular is on one of the poles which is 20' taller than the other light poles. The existing light poles are 100' and that pole is 120'.

Chm. Halverson noted we talked about co-location with cell phone antennas and the difficulty would be the transmission capability of the different types of antennas and the interference. This is not a cell tower, it is a tower exclusively for the use of emergency services of the city. The most important use will be by the Police Dept., Fire Dept., as well as communications for the area as a whole. It is the best single location as far as the ability to transfer across the entire area.

Jerry Moore moved, seconded by Fred Steffen, to recommend approval of the request by the Police Department to place a radio tower/service building on the sites in the order as selected by the Park Commission. Ayes all; Nays none; Motion carried.

7. Lot Split Request - Bonnie Bay Ct. - Bernard Landerman

John Gardner stated the lot split is consistent with earlier plans and staff recommends approval.

Fred Steffen moved, seconded by Karen Aldinger, to recommend approval of the lot split as presented. Ayes all; Nays none; Motion carried.

8. Conditional Use to Operate a Tavern at the following:

A. Rhody's - 2301 Church St.
B. Holiday Inn - 1001 Amber Ave.
C. Pete's Sports Bar - 200 Division St.

John Gardner noted there have been no complaints for any of the taverns.

Fred Steffen moved, seconded by Tony Patton, to recommend approval of the conditional use requests to operate a tavern at 2301 Church St., 1001 Amber Ave., and 200 Division St.
Ayes Steffen, Patton, Aldinger, and Chm. Halverson. Abstained, Moore;
Motion carried.

Meeting adjourned at 8:10 p.m.

Meeting adjourned at approximately 4:25 p.m.The meeting minutes reproduced on this website are derived from the computer files used to produce the official minutes for the City of Stevens Point, but are unofficial. The minutes on this web site cannot be certified under s. 889.08, Wis. Stats., and cannot be considered prima facie evidence under s. 889.04, Wis. Stats. Certain tables, maps, and other documents that are a part of the official minutes are not included in the files reproduced on this website. Please consult the printed minutes, available in the City Clerk's Office, for the official text. The decisions made by City of Stevens Point boards, committees, and commissions (other than the Police & Fire Commission) are advisory only and are not binding on the city until affirmed at a meeting of the Common Council. Some of the minutes on this web site might not be approved by the Common Council as of today.