Village board approves rezoning for 48‑unit multifamily project on Fond Du Lac Avenue

The Germantown Village Board approved an ordinance rezoning about 7 acres from institutional to RM‑2 multifamily residential, clearing the way for a 48‑unit development proposed by Premier Real Estate Management (Pre3) for a site on Fond Du Lac Avenue.

Planning staff described the site as four two‑story buildings with two‑bed, two‑bath units approximately 1,050–1,150 square feet, three parking spaces per unit, and perimeter landscaping and buffering. Staff said the proposal would add about $108,000 in estimated annual property tax revenue across taxing jurisdictions (about $36,000 to the village) and one‑time impact and connection fees of about $412,000. Using a student‑generation rate from a 2025 MD Roper study (0.11 students per multifamily unit), staff estimated roughly five additional K–12 students from the proposal and said district capacity projections would remain under capacity through 2040.

A Pre3 representative described the product as "apartment homes" with higher‑end finishes, attached garages and private entrances intended to reduce turnover and produce a lower‑density, higher‑quality multifamily product. The developer said engineering‑standard estimates indicate about 24 peak evening trips (15 inbound, 9 outbound) and that a formal traffic impact analysis (required because of State Highway 145 frontage) would be completed during the site‑plan stage.

Residents at the meeting objected to additional multifamily development in the area, citing traffic, perceived smell from a nearby recycling/transfer facility, and tax impacts. Charles Krieger urged the board to prioritize single‑family homeownership. Trustee discussion weighed those concerns against the parcel’s historic difficulty attracting commercial users and the village’s 2050 plan that allows multifamily uses in the Victory Center Corridor. Several trustees noted the site’s location, parcel size and prior failed proposals for single‑family development as factors supporting rezoning to allow infill multifamily.

The plan commission had recommended approval subject to five conditions in the staff report; trustees moved to approve the rezoning as presented and the motion carried. Staff said next steps would include site development and building plan review by the plan commission, a certified survey map to combine parcels and vacate the Crimson Road right-of‑way, a required traffic impact analysis and development agreement and building permits if the project advances to site plan review.