La Crosse's REACH Center retries zoning update

LA CROSSE (WKBT) -- La Crosse's REACH Center houses 20 organizations that help residents secure housing and achieve financial stability.

The center's partners want to update the building and offer new services, but a zoning issue has blocked it. This spring, a technicality meant the REACH Center fell short of the votes needed to get its updated zoning.

However, a change in state law has them hopeful the second time will be the charm.

The REACH Center owners are hoping to install solar panels and add more sinks to create space for dental offices.

"Those dental services will be offered to the general public by scenic bluffs community health center to help close the dental gap, the dental access gap, that we currently have in the community," said Couleecap's Executive Director Hetti Brown.

Right now, the center is zoned as part of the Washburn Residential, but the building is considered an office space.

"That triggered the need to go through a rezoning process to bring the zoning up to date with how the building has been historically used and how we're currently using the building," Brown said.

City Council President Chris Kahlow represents the city district with the REACH center. She says a zoning change would go against the city's goal to create new housing and the wishes of nearby residents.

"This is zoned housing. What we're doing is removing housing and allowing a commercial use."

When the rezoning was first introduced in March, neighborhood objections required a city council supermajority vote to approve the rezoning. The council didn't have enough votes, so the rezoning failed.

Things are different now.

"The supermajority vote got overturned because of Wisconsin state law that changed," said City Council Member Chris Woodard.

That allows the REACH Center to refile for a zoning change and they're doing what they can to get residents on board, promising they won't include activities like needle exchanges or drug detoxes.

"Those were never on the list of uses that we wanted to bring into the building, but to give that extra confidence to the local community we decided to add them as a list of prohibited uses in our zoning petition," Brown said.

Woodard says that list is necessary if the center is rezoned.

"It's just protection for the neighbors. We have those restricted things in place so they one day can't decide they're going to make this into a shelter."

Despite doubts from some residents, the REACH Center says they need this rezoning to go through as soon as possible.

"If the community wants to see the REACH Center continue, we really need action."

Monday night, La Crosse's city plan commission voted in favor of the rezoning.

On Tuesday, the center's officials were at the council's J&A meeting to ask for rezoning support. Some officials are concerned the rezoning goes against the city's goal to increase housing.

Woodard created a deed restriction to the petition to reflect the concerns of residents and officials. That amendment failed, and J&A then voted to approve the rezoning.

The full Common Council will take up the amendment and rezoning petition on Aug. 8.

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