City approves zoning amendment, general development plan for True Storage

By Kim McDarison

The Fort Atkinson City Council last Tuesday, Aug. 3, approved two steps in what City Engineer Andy Selle described as a three-step process, bringing closer to completion a redevelopment project proposed by True Storage, a New Hampshire-based developer of self-storage units. 

Once all approvals are finalized, redevelopment efforts will begin at the former Shopko property, 1425 Janesville Avenue. 

Selle noted that the two pieces approved by council on Aug. 3 — the final approval of an amendment to the city’s official zoning map for the property and approval of a general development plan as submitted by the storage unit company — are the last to be brought before council. The final step in the process is the approval of a certified survey map and a specific development plan, both of which will come before the city’s Plan Commission at a later date for approval. 

Step 1: amending the city’s official zoning map 

Council members gave final approval last Tuesday to an amendment, changing the city’s official zoning map from Urban Mixed Use (UMU) to Planned Unit Development (PUD) at 1425 Janesville Ave. The change was required to accommodate a redevelopment at the site by allowing increased flexibility, according to Selle. In return, he wrote in a memo to council, the city would “receive a substantial investment,” bearing “long term benefits for the site,” while remaining “in concert with the Comprehensive Plan.” The investment, in the case of the True Storage proposal, Selle noted, would focus on “aesthetic upgrades to the existing building and site.” The project would also create two out-lots with a commitment toward development, he wrote. 

A first reading of the proposed zoning change was approved by council July 20. Last Tuesday, Aug. 3., council voted in favor of suspending its rules and waiving a third reading of the amendment, granting it final approval after a second reading. Selle said, during the July 20 meeting, that he and city staff would likely request council waive the third reading during the Aug. 3 meeting in order to “stay on a consistent timeline for the applicant.” 

The proposal submitted by True Storage called for the existing approximately 6-acre site to be divided into three parcels: the first, an approximately 4-acre lot, will include the former Shopko building; the second and third, each about an acre, will be sold by True Storage for commercial development. The PUD zoning change was approved by council for the 4-acre parcel only. Urban Mixed Use zoning will be retained for the two out-lots.  

During discussion on Aug. 3, Councilman Megan Hartwick asked Selle to provide a more detailed understanding of how and by whom the out-lots would be marketed. 

She asked: “Can you advise what kind of role the city would have in terms of what potential businesses would be able to go into those spaces? Would that be True Storage (who) decides that on their own because they own the land?”

Selle said the UMU zoning of the two out-lots would continue to allow for a “fairly wide range of businesses” that might develop on the lots. He noted that the city and True Storage have been in discussions about “potential areas that we may want to try and target.

“I know Josh (Sullivan) from the True Storage team has some contacts within the development community, and I’m sure we’ll have some conversations about that, so there certainly is active engagement with city staff in that process and there’s the structural zoning code that really determines what can go there.” 

Selle said the UMU zoning would prohibit some types of development. He cited an “asphalt factory” as an example of types of businesses that are “expressly not allowed,” but, he said, “we would look at mixed use developments where we have some residential above and commercial below, there’s a number of different types of uses in that Urban Mixed Use that could be offered.”  

Hartwick asked: “Does the True Storage team have any examples or have they had a relationship like this before, or a development kind of like what this setup would be in other areas before?” 

True Storage representative Josh Sullivan said: “Yes, we’ve got a number of those exact scenarios and typically we’ve sold those out-lots to retail developers, or specific developers performing that. We would not take on that development ourselves.” 

Sullivan said True Storage was in the process of completing a similar transaction in Oshkosh. 

“Between last (council) meeting and this meeting, we’re also under contract — in a sense — we’ve closed on a Shopko in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. And we already have an out-lot sold to a local retail developer. They’re in the process of lining up a retailer as we speak. I can’t speak to the tenant, but it will be very much a retail out-lot development going in there,” Sullivan said. 

Councilman Mason Becker said he was impressed with the True Storage concept that had been presented to council.  

“People had different visions for that site, but I think this fits a need in the community,” he said. 

Council President Chris Scherer also expressed satisfaction with the project, saying: “I think, moving to the Planned Unit Development, is probably the best way for us moving forward to really get a lot done with the Shopko (unit). I appreciate the vision that you guys are putting forward.”  

Council approved amending the city’s official zoning map to reflect the change from UMU to PUD for the 4-acre parcel at 1425 Janesville Ave., with the following contingencies: that the city’s Plan Commission approve both the project’s final 3-lot certified survey map and the final “specific implementation plan (SIP).” 

Step 2: approving the general development plan

Also last Tuesday council approved a general development plan for the former Shopko property as submitted by True Storage. 

Selle noted that the general development plan — which he described as an “interim step” in the development process and the last step requiring approval by council — had already been presented to the city’s Plan Commission. 

The general development plan showed “about 75% of the details fleshed out for what the project is going to look like,” he said. 

Plan Commission members, during a previous meeting, had “some very good discussion there about what we’ve seen so far and what we are continuing to talk about and finalize with respect to the project,” Selle said, adding: “The largest piece that needs to be kind of memorialized is an understanding (of) those out-lots and the potential marketing and development of those out-lots … what we do within that area over the next three years or so.” 

Selle said “a lot of work” would not be performed in the area “right off the bat,” giving the city time to “make sure we understand what might develop there.” 

“Outside of that,” he said, “I think we’re looking at some building aesthetics, some improvements there … as we move toward the SIP (specific implementation plan), and that will come before the planning commission for their approval, but will not come before council. Overall, I think staff has been very excited to move through this process with True Storage. It’s been a good relationship thus far and I think this will result …in a good, positive improvement to that particular parcel.”  

During the discussion, Hartwick asked for clarification about a graphic presented within materials provided in the council packet, showing an aerial view of the project and its associated out-lots. 

“The breakdown of the space … it just throws me a little that it looks like those two out-lots are being developed,” she said, adding that, to her, it appeared as though the out-lots were being developed with trees and striping on designated parking areas. 

“Is that just for visual reference or is that what True Storage would do until those out-lots would be developed?” she asked. 

Sullivan responded, saying; “Along the front of Janesville (Avenue), we do have requirements and are adding some landscaping. We don’t intend on going inside that out-lot, aside from the re-striping as you said.” 

He added: “We are very confident that we are going to get someone in there quickly and we will start marketing efforts almost immediately. Surprisingly, in Oshkosh, we didn’t actively market it (the out-lot). Someone locally heard of the approval and they talked to us directly, so that was great, but we are actively searching for local representation — local players — and get some pre-marketing out there.”  

Hartwick asked: “So the image that shows where those trees would be planted and where striping would be done in the middle of that lot, that’s not something that would actually happen initially?” 

Said Selle: “Some of that is stormwater improvements, so some of those areas, where we have islands, … within the parking lot are intended to kind of open things up and allow some water to move into those and green it up a bit. I know that area that you’re talking about Councilman Hartwick and I think … that’s part of the first phase because it’s a fairly low lift — or easy lift to do; not a lot of money to invest there — to sort of green that up a bit. 

“As we get closer to Janesville Avenue, that’s where we want to make sure that we’re not doing anything that perhaps, later on, we would regret. We are not making any drastic changes to the site.” 

Selle continued: “True Storage and Josh have maintained throughout they really don’t need parking. So limiting the parking and allowing more of the out-lot development is kind of the easier transit through the site with the single entrance off of Janesville.”   

City Manager Rebecca Houseman LeMire said: “We’ll also just note that our code does require some buffer space — some green space — between the property lines and whatever use would eventually be there — whatever building would eventually be there. I think any funds spent on landscaping and trees in that area would not be wasted.”  

Scherer said the thought plans submitted by True Storage were “very thorough.” He found that encouraging, he said, “especially knowing the community feedback that we probably all received at some point or another to council about another storage facility within Fort Atkinson, but I can definitely tell this is not your first rodeo reconverting buildings like this and I’m encouraged to know that with the out-lots, I think you can truly do something unique for that area. I think our Planning Commission will also have the best interest of our community.”  

Said Becker: “I’m encouraged about what you said about your development in Oshkosh … I know Fort Atkinson has many entrepreneurial-minded people, and hopefully somebody will be reaching out to you with a great idea.” 

“We would welcome that,” Sullivan said. 

“We would love to work with someone locally. We will be open to any outreach; feel free to spread that word and we will be doing our own marketing as well. We will be looking for a partner as soon as we can.”

A previously story about True Storage, its projects in other states, and its plans for the former Shopko site, is here: https://fortatkinsononline.com/city-approves-zoning-change-in-advance-of-proposed-true-storage-development/.