PRESCOTT – The Prescott City Council voted unanimously March 9 to table a Planned Unit Development request for an apartment project proposed at 1452 Glenridge Drive upon recommendation from the Plan Commission. Many neighbors also spoke out against the zoning amendment at the March 2 Plan Commission meeting.

Capital Investment Partners had proposed an apartment project called The Bluffs on a 3.52-acre parcel at 1452 Glenridge Drive currently zoned R-4 High Density Residential. The project proposed three principal apartment buildings and four accessory structures totaling 106 dwelling units (or 151 bedrooms). R-4 zoning currently allows for one principal structure and two accessory structures, said City Administrator Matt Wolf.

During the site plan review, Wolf said the developer is not requesting changes to any setbacks or building height restrictions. The project proposed to have 180 parking stalls; the requirement is 151.

Feb. 2 public comments addressed the following concerns about the proposal:

• Many believe the site is too dense/has too many apartments
• Worried about traffic/vehicle impact
• Impacts on school from new development
• Concerns that garages will be used for storage, not parking
• Setting a precedent of using PUDs over relying on current zoning standards
• Impact on public safety services and infrastructure
• Concerns regarding school property and the creation of unsafe conditions with kids playing in the area
• Too much traffic already in the area due to ballfield use

Based on the public’s concerns, the planning commission recommended denial of the resolution amending the official zoning map to apply a PUD overlay at 1452 Glenridge Drive. They also tabled the site plan review, certified survey map and park location recommendation for the proposal.

Wolf said the developer is planning to put together two new concept plans that would not require a PUD. The first is for one, four-story building containing 120 units and a maximum of two accessory structures. The second is for one, three-story building with 106 apartments and two accessory structures.

“The developer will have a traffic analysis completed on the impact of the development,” Wolf added.

The planning commission will review the three proposals at its April 6 meeting. They will also consider the items they tabled.

Public comment

Glenridge Drive resident Chris Wandmacher said he and his wife have owned the property on the corner of Glenridge Drive and Linden since 2012. He asked the council to vote “no” on the proposed extension of TIF District 6 and “no” on the Planned Unit Development overlay.

“We fully understand and accept that the vacant parcel at 1452 Glenridge Drive will eventually be developed,” Wandmacher said. “We are not opposed to responsible multi-family housing. However, we are deeply concerned about the scale and intensity of recently proposed housing projects on that parcel and the significant variances that are requested to make those possible.”

Wandmacher said he’s spent many sleepless nights research Tax Increment Financing and spoken with civic leaders from other communities about how TIF districts work.

“A phrase I’ve often read and often hear in meetings, and this was even said in last week’s planning commission meeting, without the TIF, the project is not feasible for the developer. Again, not feasible for the developer,” Wandmacher said. “In other words, the primary benefit occurs for the developer today, while benefits for the taxpayers may not occur until 20 years down the road when the TIF finally closes.”

Wandmacher asked the council to consider development projects for the parcel that provide quality housing for young families and seniors, while maintaining the character, safety and integrity of the surrounding neighborhood.

“Land is one thing we’re not making any more of. Because of that, the city should not discount its value by offering incentives before they are truly needed,” he said.
Wandmacher presented many concerns about the PUD at the March 2 Plan Commission meeting, especially the project requiring substantial deviation from established zoning limits on the principal and accessory structures.

“If approved, it signals that ordinance caps are flexible when density objectives are prioritized. Zoning regulations exist to provide predictability, fairness and protection for both current and future residents. The question before the board is not whether the housing is needed, it’s whether this parcel under its current zoning should be developed at nearly triple the structural and population intensity of the surrounding neighborhood,” Wandmacher said.

After making his comments, many in the audience applauded.

TID 6

The council approved, with Alderperson Lindsey Sorenson voting against and Alderperson Maureen Otwell absent, a resolution amending the project plan and boundaries of Tax Incremental District No. 6. The Plan Commission

According to the city council packet, under state law, Tax Increment Financing (TIF) allows municipalities to fund public infrastructure and development incentives within a designated Tax Incremental District (TID). When a TID is created, the existing equalized value of property within the district is established as the “base value.” As development occurs and property values increase, the additional tax revenue generated above the base value—the “tax increment”—is set aside in a special fund to pay eligible project costs. Once all project costs are paid or the statutory life of the district expires (typically 20–27 years, depending on district type), the TID closes and the full value is returned to the general tax roll for the benefit of all taxing jurisdictions.

Sean Lentz of Ehlers, a municipal financial advising firm, said approving an amendment to the plan wouldn’t automatically constitute approving the use. Down the road, a development agreement and approving a specific project individually would still be needed. The council does not have to go forward with a project by voting to use TIF in this area.

“Tax increment financing is a tool that has been in the statutes since the 70s,” Lentz said. “It’s a tool that really allows communities to target a development or redevelopment area in the community that you want to direct investments to. The financing end of it is that by putting it into a Tax Increment District and taking proactive action to try to make something happen on that property, you get a tool that any new tax revenue from new development on that property, the city would collect 100% of that revenue for up to a 20-year period maximum.”

TIF captures tax revenue from new construction to create a funding source for incentives and infrastructure for redevelopment, Lentz added. The money can’t be used for just anything; it has to be used to pay back incentives or costs associated with developing that area.

TID 6 was developed in 2024. This amendment adds the 1452 Glenridge Drive parcel and Prescott School District property to the TID. The Glenridge Drive parcel in question is valued at roughly $150,000 undeveloped. Lentz said the taxes from that property are currently split between city, school district, county and Chippewa Valley Technical College.

“When you create a Tax Increment District, any new value up and above, in our example, the $150,000… instead of any increment value going to all the taxing jurisdictions, it goes to the city, 100% of it,” Lentz said.

After the TID closes, meaning after the incentive are paid back or 20 years comes, whichever is first, the new taxable amount of the developed property would then again be split between the taxing jurisdictions.

Lentz said Ehlers determined that without the use of TIF for the Glenridge Drive property, it’s unlikely anyone would be willing to invest in any type of apartment project on that site because the rate of return wouldn’t justify the investment.
Lentz added that historically, TIDs were used more for commercial and industrial development and blight elimination. However, in the last 10 years, residential has become a huge component of many TIDs with which Lentz has worked.

“The reason is, affordable housing is a definite challenge all across the country and in Wisconsin,” Lentz said. “And in fact, the state of Wisconsin changed and added mixed use districts as a potential tool that communities can use because of that fact. Before they didn’t have residential as an option in TIDs.”

Adding the properties to TID 6 does not mean approval of the proposed apartment project.

Other business

• The council approved a proposal from Monarch Paving Company to repave the city hall/library parking lot for $63,215.
• The council also approved on second reading an ordinance amending the sewer connection fee portion of the municipal code, allowing the city to waive the Sewer Connection Fee in unique situations where the home buyer/developer must install and maintain a grinder pump.