Board pans design of Jackson St. townhouses

A proposal to build nine townhouses along the north side of Jackson Street in Port Washington’s marina district was put on hold Tuesday by the city’s Design Review Board.

Members of the board praised the proposed use of the site but were critical of the modern architecture of the building, saying it needs to be softened to better fit the area.

“I personally feel this is a very strong statement,” committee member Jeremy Hartline, an architect, said. “I think it’s too strong.

“I do think it’s a very interesting design. I just wish there was more of a nod to the local vernacular. There are a number of turn-of-the-century houses on that street. Take a look at the immediate area and take your cues from there.”

Board member Melissa Didier concurred, saying the building needs to be altered so it is “not as jarring.”

She suggested a change in materials could help, such as incorporating Cream City brick in the building, since these are “woven into the tapestry of the area.”

John and Jan Lanser have proposed building the three-story town houses between the bike trail and the Light Station staircase on the north side of Jackson Street.

The hillside would be cut back roughly 60 feet from the street and a retaining wall constructed behind the building to accommodate the townhouses.

Jan Lanser said the couple wanted to differentiate between their project and other housing developments in the area, choosing a more contemporary design that would be a transition between downtown and the modern NewPort Shores development east of their property.

“I will admit that the first time I saw this (design), I said we can’t do this,” she said. “But the more I thought about it, the more I thought this does make sense.”

Architects Falamak Nourzad and Vaishali Wagh of Continuum Architects and Planners said they wanted to take advantage of the lake views and picked up on details from downtown buildings, such as articulation, shadow lines and the interconnections between each unit, when designing the building.

Contemporary design can be found in downtown buildings such as the Harborview, Harbor Lights and the proposed New Port Shores development, they said, adding these structures fit in well.

Public Works Director Rob Vanden Noven, chairman of the board, said he did not see the relationship between the downtown buildings and the proposed townhouses.

“If it has to be explained to me how it connects to the rest of downtown, I don’t know that it’s accomplished its goals,” Vanden Noven said, adding he feared it might damage the “iconic” view from Harborview Lane to the Light Station.

Committee member Mike Ehrlich, an architect who was not at the meeting, praised the use of the property but also questioned the look of the development in a memo read by Bob Harris, the city’s director of planning and development.

“The materials feel more like a large apartment building in the Third Ward (of Milwaukee),” Harris said.

Wagh told the board that the architects worked to make the building pedestrian friendly, and sought to ensure each of the units is unique with different entryways and landscaping.

They said they also worked to ensure that Jackson Street would not be lined with garage doors by setting the garages back.

Vanden Noven questioned whether the sidewalk should be moved away from the curb when the building is constructed, noting it would allow the city to plant trees in the parkway.

“We might be losing an opportunity,” he said. “Having a tree-lined street would be an improvement.”

That’s especially true since much of the greenery will be lost when the hillside is cut back, Didier said.

The board asked the architects to work with city staff and come back with a modified design, saying members are willing to hold a special meeting before the Thursday, Sept. 19, Plan Commission meeting if needed to move the development along on schedule.