Woodman’s plan advances but not without debate

A Woodman’s Food Market in Grafton took another step toward reality Monday as the Village Board approved annexing the property on North Port Washington Road where the store would be located and rezoning the land for the shopping complex.

But the decision did not come easily, with trustees questioning everything from the additional traffic the store will inevitably bring to the inclusion of a gas station with a quick lube operation and a 4,828-square-foot car wash on the property to the fact the market will be in competition with other grocery stores in the area.

While the board approved annexing and rezoning the 29 acres just southeast of the intersection of Port Washington and Arrowhead roads, the action is not final.

Community Development Director Gabe Gilbertson told the board each of the approvals is contingent on the village reaching a pre-annexation and developer’s agreement with Woodman’s.

Woodman’s wanted assurances that the use would be allowed before negotiating the agreement, he said, adding that he expects the agreement to be completed late this year or early in 2027.

The village approvals all came on 6-1 votes with Trustee Sarah Scarpace dissenting.

“I would love to have Woodman’s in Grafton. I would love to see some tweaks to this,” Scarpace said, adding she had reservations about the size of the store and the fact that the village has said it would not approve automotive-related uses along Port Road.

Acknowledging some other stores in the corridor have oil-change and quick lube operations, such as Costco, Scarpace said, “I don’t know how that got approved. I don’t feel comfortable making yet another exception.”

Woodman’s has proposed building a 245,000-square-foot grocery store, which will take up the bulk of the property, as well as a 3,078-square-foot convenience store, a 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.

Trustees expressed concern about the entrance off Arrowhead Road, which is a town road that would require significant improvements to accommodate the development. Gilbertson said that is something that can be negotiated in the developer’s agreement.

Officials also expressed a desire to have traffic lights installed at Arrowhead Road immediately if the grocery store proceeds as planned.

Trustee Russ MacRae said numerous residents have contacted him with concerns about the “mere consideration of having a Woodman’s here.”

“Why are we even considering putting another grocery shop within a mile of numerous other grocery stores?” he asked. “We have auto repair shops just north of where this would be. I question why would we even consider this.”

But Trustee Scott Rishel said the board’s job isn’t to determine the type of business but if that business fits in the comprehensive plan.

Competition is good, Trustee Luke Spykstra said, adding that having Woodman’s could “drive down food prices.”

The village should also consider the fact Woodman’s will bring a large number of “good paying, middle class jobs that we would be lucky to have,” he said.

The Woodman’s proposal will go before the village’s Architectural Review Board when it meets Wednesday, Oct. 14.