Muskego plan commission waives cross‑access requirement for two Commerce Center parcels

The City of Muskego Plan Commission on March 3 approved Resolution PC0072026, granting a waiver of the cross‑access requirement between two parcels in the Commerce Center—Caliber Collision and Elliott’s Ace Hardware—after staff and commissioners debated practicality, safety and fairness to other property owners.

Planner Trezbutowski said the proposed cross connection between the two sites would create a roughly 22% slope between parking lots; engineering staff typically prefers slopes no greater than 10 percent. "Once the development team looked at that requirement of having the cross access, they realized that it creates a really steep slope area," the planner said, and noted an estimated cost of at least $150,000 to lower the Caliber site to achieve the shallower grade.

Commissioners raised competing concerns. Commissioner (S6) argued cross access promotes shared circulation and keeps traffic off Commerce Drive, noting it is "only fair to the other property owners that had to incorporate that to their site and do the due diligence." Other commissioners said the grade and parking constraints made a connection impractical at this location and questioned whether prior approvals in other sections of the development required the same connections.

After discussion about safety in winter months, engineering thresholds and the development history of the corridor, the commission voted 4–0 to approve the waiver to the east between Caliber and Ace; commissioners emphasized maintaining or encouraging cross access to the west where grades are more favorable.

The waiver relieves the immediate cross‑access obligation between the two parcels; any future development or grading changes could prompt different requirements from engineering staff.