WEST BEND, WI – The new Russ Darrow Jeep and Dodge dealership located at 2665 W. Washington Street in West Bend, WI is nearing completion. The project, located just east of Rathdalough Nissan, was scheduled to begin in October 2022, but has now been moved to April 2023.
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Darrow is building a 24,406-square-foot Jeep and Dodge auto dealership at 2665 W. Washington Street, just east of the Nissan dealership. This is the second of three stages of development envisioned for the site and future expansion to the east.
Darrow is expected to be ready for occupancy by December 1, 2023.
It was March 2017 when Russ Darrow broke ground on a new Nissan dealership on Highway 33 in West Bend, Wisconsin.
Land to the east of Darrow’s property was also being developed. This parcel was previously targeted for construction of a new Pizza Ranch. Those plans later changed as Pizza Ranch signed a deal further east on Highway 33.
This new Nissan dealership was classified as “Step 1 of the process” at the time.
Below are the designs presented to the West Bend Planning Commission at their August 2, 2022 meeting.
Zoning:
・This property is zoned B-4 general commercial/warehouse district.
– Building height, lot area, and open space comply with existing B-4 zoning requirements.
– A shielded garbage area made of masonry that matches the color of the building’s facade has been established in the southeast corner of the site.
· No screened storage provisions are proposed and municipal ordinances prohibit the storage of unusable vehicles without outdoor storage approval by the Planning Board.
Parking/Access:
· Access to the site will be from an existing driveway on Valley Avenue and two existing driveways that connect to W. Washington Street. The easternmost driveway on W. Washington Street is located in the median for left turns from the property.
· The planning set identifies median changes according to an abbreviated traffic impact analysis to accommodate traffic increases. A full Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) must be completed and submitted to the City Engineer for review and approval. If the TIA identifies additional required improvements, the plan set must be revised to incorporate those improvements before a building permit is issued.
・91 regular parking spaces and 4 barrier-free parking spaces available. The site plan also designates a parking area for vehicle display. We have ample parking available for car sales and services.
Lateral services/utilities:
・ A 6-inch sanitary sewer pipe will be installed from the existing 6-inch sanitary sewer pipe on the site.
· A 6-inch water wall will be installed from the main within W. Washington Street.
Grading\Rainwater Management:
-A stormwater management plan was approved for the previous site plan to account for this future development. Any amendments to the Stormwater Management Plan must be submitted to and approved by the Engineering Department. Approval of amendments to the stormwater management plan is required before a building permit is issued.
· The grade of the site is designed to drain the site into various catch basins and connect with pipes to a stormwater pond in the southwest corner of the site.
Sign:
· Two additional ground signs are noted on the site plan. One ground sign would be installed on the west side of the easternmost driveway and is proposed as a pylon sign for Dodge, Chrysler, and Ram, and the other is proposed as a Jeep “totem” sign on the east side of the driveway. There are two of his existing ground signs from the Nissan dealership on this property. Two ground signs are permitted according to city design standards. To make the two additional above-ground signs a reality, the Planning Commission would have to grant an exception to the city design standards. The developer has requested such an exception. Developers request this consideration in order to differentiate between the various brands represented. If the Planning Commission grants an exception, staff will recommend revising the Pylon He Dodge, Chrysler, and Ram sign as a monument sign in line with code requirements. Both ground signs must meet current design requirements for size, height, and location.
· Individual tenant branding and service center wall signs are identified on building elevations. All tenant wall signs meet the size and location requirements of the Sign Code.
Landscaping and grounds lighting:
· Appropriate foundations, parking and surrounding plantings will be provided.
· Twenty 23-foot-tall LED poles are proposed throughout the site to provide lighting for the site. Staff determined that lighting at the scene was acceptable.
Building elevation:
・The building materials used are glass panels and aluminum composite metal panels (ACM) on the north side of the building. The western section (Dodge/Ram) will be Alpolic Silver Metallic and the eastern section (Jeep) will be Alpolic Anthracite Gray. The northern third of the west wall of the building will have panels in the same ACM color as the front elevation. The remaining two-thirds of that wall will be painted in the “Black Magic” color, the building material will be a block band painted on the bottom of the wall, and the remaining top of the wall will be painted in the same color with EIFS.
Because black-painted walls do not meet urban design color restrictions, staff recommends that the building color be modified from black to another color to meet the design requirements. The northern third of the east wall of the building will be fitted with panels in the same ACM color that matches that portion of the north wall. The remaining two-thirds of that wall is painted in the “Cityscape” (light gray) color, the building materials are block painted on the bottom of the wall, and the remaining top of the wall is painted in the same color. The south wall will be painted with block and EIFS to match the color of the east and west walls.
· Color reproduction may not be consistent with building elevations. The two plans must be modified to match the building elevation of the building materials, including the provision of a masonry belt course.
Amendments are required to address staff review comments on the site plan set prior to issuance of a building permit.
We recommend site plan approval with the following conditions:
1. Submit and approve an erosion control plan before any activity that disturbs the land or the issuance of a building permit.
2. Provide landscape bidding and sufficient guarantees before issuance of building permits.
3. Submit and approve amendments to the stormwater management plan prior to issuance of a building permit.
4. Submission and approval of a traffic impact analysis for the W. Washington Street Improvements to the City Engineer – now tied up prior to occupancy as determined by the Planning Commission.
5. Revised site plan to address comments reviewed by staff prior to issuance of building permit.
6. Black architectural finishes shall be changed to another color to comply with urban design standards.
7. City approval of developer agreement for site planning and public improvements as required by approved traffic impact analysis.