It's official: 3-story apartment building will be constructed on historic log cabin property in Wauwatosa

WAUWATOSA - The intense debate over the log cabin came to its conclusion on Tuesday evening, however not without some words of caution.

The Common Council approved a plan that would allow construction of a three-story apartment building where a well-known log cabin now stands. The vote was 9-4. 

Voting yes were alderpersons Joel Tilleson, Matt Stippich, Ernst Franzen, Jason Wilke, Craig Wilson, James Moldenhauer, Kelly Rifelj, Cheryl Berdan and Jason Kofroth. Voting no were alderpersons Heather Kuhl, Michael Walsh, John Dubinski and Tim Hanson.

Alderwomen Nancy Welch and Kathleen Causier voted present, claiming a conflict of interest. Allison Byrne was absent. 

Welch said there have been a number of projects where a developer comes in and makes huge promises to achieve approval and then returns to the council asking to be relieved of those conditions.

"I simply hope if this goes forward and we place conditions on it; the council will be fully prepared to hold them to that promise," Welch said. 

Kuhl voiced concerns over constituents feeling as if the rug was pulled out from under them. 

"I hope if it is approved, the developer will be more proactive in working with residents," Kuhl said

Final chance to speak

Many who spoke at a July 31 Community Affairs meeting focused on if the new building would change the fabric of the neighborhood on West Wauwatosa Avenue.

Residents Emily and David Kang — who brought a scale model to a previous meeting — made another scale model with cardboard boxes to show how big the proposed building would look next to a standard home in the neighborhood. Emily explained the building is still out of scale with the other houses in the neighborhood. 

"What is disturbing to me is these neighbors had no way of anticipating something of this scale and density being built here," said Emily. 

But several people who were in support of the proposal discussed how appealing it would be for those who want to rent instead of buy a home. 

Kathryn Carnahan, a resident physician at the Medical College of Wisconsin, said when she moved to Wauwatosa in 2012 to start medical school there weren't a lot of housing options for a single person, and this could help fill that void.

Carnahan said there are roughly 200 people who move to the area for medical school and are just starting out. Those people are looking for a place to call home where there is diversity.

RELATED:Concerned residents voice opinions on well known Tosa log cabin

RELATED:Developer plans to donate log cabin to Wauwatosa architect to relocate it to North Avenue

The proposal includes the redevelopment of the property into a three-story, 27-unit residential apartment building. It would include three studio units, 21 one-bedroom units and three two-bedroom units with 34 parking stalls in a below-grade lower level. 

Pet concerns

Maricolette Walsh, a trustee of the Wauwatosa Cemetery, said she worried about dog waste being left in the cemetery and how an apartment building which allows dogs might add to the issue. 

Rifelj asked developer Chris Houden to address those issues. 

Houden said at other developments there is a motion-sensor surveillance camera installed near a dog waste bag system on the property. If a person leaves the property with their dog and fails to take a doggy bag, they are fined $50.

If the behavior continues, the fine would increase and the final straw would be an eviction. Houden said this is what they planned to do with the proposed development as he has found it to be effective in other developments. 

Committee debates project 

Walsh said he has heard from constituents who are concerned about the scale of the apartments. Another concern is the perceived rush to develop an area where residents are not used to seeing development. He mentioned the log cabin and how residents didn't foresee the possibility of an apartment being placed there. 

"What you are fundamentally doing is changing the fabric of a neighborhood and we should tread lightly when we do those things," Walsh said. 

Berdan said people are looking for interesting places to live. She referenced her millennial children who would agree with the statement.

Berdan mentioned the concern over apartments creating more traffic and mentioned large apartment developments in her district. She said she hasn't found there to be an increase or change in traffic and said the concern is being used to "cause fear in the hearts of the people who live there." 

Berdan also said the developer has listened and made changes, but people who oppose the building don't want to budge. 

Hanson, who was not in support of the project, disagreed with Berdan over the traffic, stating he has been on North Avenue and it is crazy at night. 

Hanson said adding apartments to the city is not an easy thing to deal with. As more rental properties are added, he said the city will be the "rental capital of the metro area." 

The apartment building would be built on a lot now occupied by a log cabin that used to belong to former Erie Railroad President Frederick D. Underwood.  

Houden announced on April 17 that he plans to give the cabin to a Wauwatosa architectural firm to be used for additional office space on North Avenue. 

Tilleson added two conditions to the proposal: That the developer install animal waste receptacles and proper surveillance. And that the log cabin is successfully moved and preserved, which is what his support was contingent on. 

"The (log) cabin has sat vacant for a long time. It needs new life into it and we have a proposal for that," Tilleson said. 

Houden is aiming for a fall 2018 start, and a spring 2019 finish. The log cabin will be moved on the start date of construction.