RIVER FALLS — The River Falls Plan Commission forwarded a pair of items to the City Council that will be considered at the July 28 meeting. The first item was the Specific Implementation Plan (SIP) of The Creamery at Cedar.

The proposed site is a three-floor space, with the first floor to be a restaurant and tap room, the second floor an event space and the third floor being four short-term rental units. The space’s General Development Plan (GDP) was approved by the council in April, and the SIP is expected to be the final box to check.

The location of the site is on the west side of the Kinnickinnic River at River and Cedar streets.

“The site is located at the confluence of multiple plans that impact the feasibility and vision for development of the area,” Senior Planner Harley Mehlhorn said. “[The downtown overlay] was considered when the commission and council evaluated the merits of an unorthodox parking plan, as was approved in the GDP.”

“The land use technical memorandum specifically identifies sites downtown along the river as candidates for infill development, with reduced setbacks and developments to accommodate efficient human-scale and downtown compatible development types,” Mehlhorn said.

Mehlhorn said the project also fits the vision of the river area laid out in the Kinni Corridor Plan.

There are some smaller changes to the proposal from April, led by a reconfiguration of the outdoor deck to allow for more seating.

The largest conversation piece previously regarding the project was the allowance for non-standard parking in the GDP. More information was presented on the topic at the Plan Commission meeting. City code requires the building to have 177 parking spaces between its own parking, off-site parking agreements with other organizations, nearby public lots and on-street parking. Not including on-street parking in the area, The Creamery at Cedar has 214 parking spaces due to agreements to use 50 spaces at Moose Lodge and 16 spaces at Jensen Automotive. The two locations were specifically chosen for agreements because of the difference in peak hours and overall hours they have with The Creamery.

The site expects the need for 30-46 spaces on weekdays, 113 for weekend events and 177 at an absolute peak.

“Staff supports the proposed parking plan for the following reasons: Firstly, the total load of the site during even peak hour events on any given day is projected to be less than the spaces provided. Secondly, the parking plan meets the goals of the conceptual approval within the GDP, notably that the private parking agreements have been entered and recorded with the county, and the city has been provided a copy of each. Further, the applicant has agreed to reasonable conditions on limiting the occupancy in the case that a private parking agreement is terminated and such capacity cannot be replaced in a timely manner,” Mehlhorn said. “Finally, the proposed plan is in alignment with the same policy framework that underpinned the approval of the GDP, those being the [Comprehensive Plan], the Downtown Overlay and the Kinni Corridor Plan.”

City staff does not anticipate a major increase in on-street parking demand in the nearby residential area due to the other parking options, but Mehlhorn said there is a give and take, as economic activation comes with more vehicle traffic. The item was forwarded to the council with a positive recommendation from the Plan Commission.

Fence and Boulevard Ordinance

City staff presented a pair of recommendations on an update to the residential fence ordinance. The latest update to the fence ordinance was in 2018, introducing a three-foot setback for fences along street sides, as well as landscaping upkeep requirements within that three-foot space.

“The current ordinance has proven a bit difficult to implement. Notably, the landscaping requirement has been a bit difficult to administer,” Mehlhorn said. “Plantings that are shown on plans are absent or unmaintained in reality.”

Fence encroachments along West Division Street from Main Street to Dry Run Road caused staff to look into possible ordinance changes. The commission then weighed options between keeping the ordinance as is or removing the three-foot setback and landscaping requirements.

“A three-foot setback allows for maintenance, access and some visual impact, even if minimal; whereas, a smaller setback would still be an additional impact on a property owner, but with little public benefit,” Mehlhorn said. “[Removing the requirements] would have the effect of a more permissive ordinance and provide for more usable private open space for residents while having the trade-off of potentially reducing the aesthetic quality of the streetscape.”

A pair of residents at the meeting said losing three feet of yard space from the fence gives them little if any space in their yards. The city engineer informed staff that there is no concern with removing the three feet of setback space as long as fence footings are out of the right of way.

The commission opted to recommend removing the three-foot setback and landscaping requirements to the council.

The commission also discussed a boulevard maintenance ordinance change that would place the responsibility of upkeeping the space between the property line and the curb on residents instead of the city. Mehlhorn said this has largely been an expectation in the city already, but the proposal would clear up any vagueness.