The Rhinelander City Council approved a zoning change that could allow for a major housing development in the city.
The property is between West Wind Drive and Highway 47.
A proposed development would potentially create more than 30 units ranging from single family homes to duplexes.
Before the project can move forward, the developer needed the land to be rezoned from light industrial to mixed residential.
Some West Wind residents spoke during public comment.
They raised concerns about lack of information on the project—like how it will impact wetlands and traffic on West Wind Drive.
“I know most of the people in the neighborhood are not against the development,” Mike Hendricks said during public comment. “We're against West Wind Drive being a through street. That was designed by the engineering companies and everyone else involved as the least expensive, easiest way to access that new development.”
Approving the zoning change does not greenlight the housing development.
Rhinelander Mayor Kris Hanus talked about bit about the process developers have to go through for something like this. He noted it’s the beginning of a long process.
“A developer doesn't want to spend a ton of resources and money doing studies if they can't even build what they want to build there. The first step is, in good faith, is rezoning it. That way the developer knows we want this type of development in our city,” said Hanus. “This location is plausible, since they own it. From there, now they will start those processes if they choose, they may not. So something just to keep in mind for the process moving forward.”
City council voted unanimously to make the zoning change at Monday night’s meeting.
