GREEN BAY (NBC26) — Tuesday night, neighbors in the Red Smith neighborhood tell me they'll continue their fight to stop a new subdivision being built in their backyard.
Last week, I spoke with some of them about their concerns. Now the city shares their side and how they plan to appease residents while addressing the need for more housing.
- Video shows drone footage of 168 acres of land in the Red Smith Neighborhood.
- 369 units are proposed for the area which includes single-family, two-family homes, apartments and commercial space
- City principal planner, David Buck, shares how the city plans to address numerous concerns among neighbors.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
"Do they want to encourage more single-family home usage or do they want transient renters," Gary Fifarek, a Red Smith neighborhood resident, said.
Last week, I spoke with Fifarek. He said neighbors have never felt this level of unease until now.
"The (comprehensive plan) is going to say what's appropriate for the neighborhood," David Buck, the city's principal planner, said.
Buck spoke at last week's plan commission meeting, where a unanimous vote moved the topic to the council level.
I spoke with him Tuesday morning about top concerns neighbors have regarding the development — Beginning with consistent, unresolved water pressure issues:
"To my understanding, they are doing their own pressure zone," Buck said. "That does require around a quarter-of-a-million-dollar equipment to even get the (water) pressure to what it is."
And storm water drainage:
"There's probably five or six ponds that they're putting in, all at the bottom of the escarpment to catch that storm water for their development," Buck said.
Buck added that the Department of Public Works is considering to work with developers to oversize the ponds to hold excess water.
Another concern from neighbors: Increased traffic flow, especially around Red Smith K-through-8 school.
Buck said main roads such as Sussex Rd. were constructed to handle future development.
"That was taken into account when those roads were laid out, that it would be developed someday," Buck said.
He added that the Green Bay Area Public School District is aware of the proposal and will continue to monitor attendance numbers, as they do with other schools in the area.
One of the biggest concerns among neighbors: The addition of apartment buildings that are part of the plan.
"If you're strictly one type of building type, you're more susceptible to those market trends," Buck said.
Buck said that according to the city's comprehensive study from 2003 to 2022, multi-family buildings were always part of the plan.
"Specifically for (the Red Smith neighborhood)," Buck said. "(The comprehensive plan) mentions it in that district."
Video shows Buck pointing out District 6 in the planbook and explaining the conditions of the area.
Buck said when looking at density levels in the area, it's not about unit types but units per acre, which the proposal features a significantly less amount than originally planned for.
The city said developers remain committed to addressing any and all concerns.
Moski Corp. owns the land and is the lead developer.
