Panel paves way for massive Woodman’s despite concerns

The Grafton Plan Commission on Tuesday paved the way for Woodman’s Food Market to build what would be the village’s largest grocery store on Port Washington Road north of Highway 60.

The commission recommended that the Village Board annex 29 acres from the Town of Grafton for the project and zone it for a planned unit development.

It also approved a certified survey map and recommended approval of a site plan for the project, which would be at the southeast corner of Port Washington and Arrowhead roads.

But those decisions didn’t come easily. It took three votes for the commission to approve the zoning recommendation.

Much of the discussion revolved around the number of separate buildings on the site.

In addition to the 245,000-square-foot grocery store, which will take up the bulk of the property, the proposal calls for a 3,078-square-foot convenience store and gas station with a quick lube operation and a 4,828-square-foot car wash. The convenience store and car wash would be located on the southwest corner of the property.

Access to the development would be through two entrances on Port Washington Road — the southern most would be controlled with a traffic light — and one off Arrowhead Road on the north end of the property. 

The grocery store, which would be open 24 hours a day except on Christmas and Easter, would be significantly larger than the nearby Meijer store, which is about 200,000 square feet, and the neighboring Costco, which is 150,000 square feet.

Village resident David McQuinn said the village agreed several years ago not to allow any more automobile-oriented businesses in the Port Road corridor.

“Why are we changing our minds now?” he asked.

Commission member and former village president Jim Brunnquell said that prohibition was put in place because the village wanted to have unique businesses located off the freeway.

“We didn’t want to duplicate every other off ramp,” he said.  “I think we’re starting to move away from the intent of the east-side development.

“I think there’s a lot of potential for Woodman’s. Grafton has become a destination for shoppers. But it’s because of controlled uses we’ve had that success.”

He suggested eliminating the quick lube operation, but Jim Arneson of Fox Arneson, a design-build firm that works with Woodman’s, said the shop is an integral part of the Woodman’s model.

There’s only one Woodman’s that doesn’t incorporate the gas station, convenience store and lube shop, he said, and that dates to 1983

“I think it’s unlikely Woodman’s would modify their model to develop the property,” Arneson said.

Dan Rosenfeld of Mid-America Real Estate, which is also working with Woodman’s, added, “Not including those uses, they may have to move to the next community.”

A motion to approve the PUD zoning without a quick lube operation failed on a 3-3 vote.

Prior to that vote, a motion to approve the zoning recommendation with all the uses failed on a 5-1 vote, with only Luke Spykstra voting in favor.

Spykstra then brought up a discussion about the number of jobs Woodman’s would bring to Grafton, especially during difficult economic times.

“I think this is an ideal use for the property. Putting too much red tape on them could chase them away,” he said, adding that the new employees would also create a population of shoppers that may patronize other businesses.

According to documents submitted by Woodman’s, the grocery store would have a staff of 65 people on its largest shift, and Rosenfeld said Woodman’s Menomonee Falls store employs 611 people and has a payroll of $8.1 million.

Community Development Director Gabe Gilbertson noted that Woodman’s could opt to place each building on a separate lot, but said the PUD zoning allows flexibility and could ensure enhanced traffic flow and more green space.

“They could come back with a new plan that puts the food store on its own property,” he said.

A motion to recommend the PUD zoning was then approved on 5-1 vote with Scott Uhen dissenting.

Roughly 25 residents from the Grafton area also expressed concerns about the development, citing everything from the impact on other village businesses to increased traffic in the well-traveled corridor to safety.

“I don’t think we need another grocery store,” Robyn Wiegand, a town resident who lives on Indian Hills Drive off Arrowhead Road, told the commission. “We have 12 grocery stores in a 10-mile radius. We have 10 car washes and 12 chain gas stations.

“I’m not against economic development. I’m asking for responsible development. What else could we put there that would help Grafton thrive?”

McQuinn also questioned the impact on existing businesses, saying, “I don’t know that this is fair to them. What is the point of bringing Woodman’s in? I don’t need more of the same. I’m content where I am now. I would prefer that development not take place.”

Wiegand said the increase in traffic would create a “massive” impact on people living in her subdivision.

Traffic was a concern expressed by several village residents, with former trustee Andrew Schwartz saying the store will be a regional draw, bringing in shoppers from Milwaukee to Sheboygan, and exacerbate issues “people are experiencing along Port Washington Road that they don’t necessarily want.”

He recommended that the village require traffic lights not only at the south entrance to Woodman’s on Port Road but also at the Arrowhead Road intersection and that Flock cameras be installed to help combat crime. Village resident Marie McFaul said she is concerned about the need to widen Port Washington Road to four lanes, asking who will pay for the infrastructure that’s needed.

Gilbertson estimated those costs to be $5 million to $6 million, adding that historically developers pay to extend utilities and roads are covered through special assessments.

The impact of the development on Arrowhead Road, which officials noted is in poor condition, prompted the commission to ask if Woodman’s could do without that entrance.

Arneson noted that Woodman’s typically has three entrances, and Gilbertson suggested the commission approve the site plan with a clause asking that the village and Woodman’s work to find options to that entrance.

The zoning and annexation are expected to come before the Village Board in October, Gilbertson said, but added that it could be delayed if issues like the Arrowhead Road entrance are still being discussed. The site plan will now go before the Architectural Review Board.