2 weeks Ago
Despite recent changes to some of La Crosse’s city zoning rules, the development planned for Mayo Health Clinic employee living quarters struggled to adhere to any one zoning type. Thursday evening, the city council spent most of their discussion figuring out a solid path of approval for the project because it does not fit any city zoning regulations. Andrea Trane Many council members turned to planning director Andrea Trane for additional advice on how to approve a project like this.
Trane suggested the council’s decision was more about declaring the council’s satisfaction with the project itself over its direct adherence to zoning codes. “I guess my advice would be: Look around. Look who’s around you right now.
It’s going to be a different council next month,” Trane said. “I think if you all feel strongly that you want to make a decision on this today, I would encourage you to do so. It would also provide some sort of direction for staff and the developer if they understood that the council was supportive.
” Jeremy Novak, development manager at Three Sixty Real Estate, speaks at a La Crosse city council meeting Thursday, April 10. Saskia Hatvany, River Valley Media Group The council approved rezoning the property with 10 yes votes, one no vote and one abstention. However, the project can’t move forward until it receives noncompliance approval from the zoning appeals board next month.
Three Sixty Real Estate’s living plans are too dense for most city zoning codes. Developers plan to squeeze in 36 units from studios to three-bedrooms across two projects in a space less than two acres. While the density issue could be solved by rezoning to Medium-Density Residential, other development plans such as neighboring setbacks would also keep the plans from compliance.
Trane suggested out of all non-complying zones, Traditional Neighborhood was the lightest hurdle for city staff and developers. This is not the first bump in the road Three Sixty Real Estate has dealt with to make the living quarters possible for requesters at Mayo Health Clinic System. 3D concept art of the building planned next to the former Washburn Community Gardens lot.
La Crosse's city council approved the plans, but it will need further approval since the plans do not adhere directly to any city zoning codes. ISG, Contributed The development will replace the once-tended Washburn Community Gardens. Although there are plans to reconstruct the gardens near planned townhomes on the lot, the idea of ripping out the original gardens came with neighborhood controversy.
Mayo Health Clinic had owned the property for several years. In 2023, Mayo officials signaled they would seek redevelopment of the land in order to create housing catered toward Mayo employees. The land was sold for an undisclosed amount in April 2024, but gardeners had already evacuated most of their supplies by that time after Mayo ordered the gardens cleared in the months leading to the sale.
Consultants with MSP Consulting are still working on a total overhaul of the city’s zoning laws. City planning staff requested changes to zoning uses, applications and procedures to fix sections of La Crosse zoning that are 40 years old in some sections. City planners hope to lessen the amount of noncompliance requests and overall make the development process more seamless for developers who struggle working with the city’s ordinances on occasion.
.
