E. Main Street apartment development approved in Sun Prairie

East Main Street, LLC was approved to begin construction on their proposed multi-family apartment complex by the Sun Prairie City Council on Tuesday, March 19. The development passed through a unanimous 8-0 vote.

Plans for the project located at 998 E. Main Street include two four-story buildings housing a total of 163 market-rate dwelling units ranging from studio to two-bedroom spaces.

According to Mayor Paul Esser, there is no Tax Increment Financing from the city going into the project.

Additional amenities and facets of the project include a stormwater retention pond, play area, patios and grilling areas as well as parking above and below ground.

The city’s 2019-2039 Comprehensive Plan specifies that the East Main Street-owned parcel is designated for high intensity urban-residential development (UR-12). Some limitations that come with the zoning distinction were waived for the developer by the city, which make the development unique.

For example, the company was permitted to increase the project’s density from 9.8 to 39 units per acre and its maximum height from 35 to 54 feet, while decreasing the amount of parking spaces slightly.

No one from the public opted to speak on the development at the March 19 city council meeting, and the council members had no questions for staff or the developer.

However, there was noteworthy public interest at the Tuesday, March 12, plan commission meeting where the project was formally presented for the first time.

Eight individuals, many of whom said they were longtime residents and live near the development, voiced their displeasure with the prospect of another apartment building.

Several of those who spoke protested the removal of existing foliage in the area, raised concerns regarding privacy, and suggested moving high-density developments to different parts of the city.

At the end of the public hearing, Esser addressed the crowd.

He clarified the city’s input on the direction of private development is somewhat limited as it does not own the land. Esser also stated that Sun Prairie’s comprehensive plan, which maps designations for future land use in the city, was created using input from the public from 2017-2019.

East Main Street did adjust some portions of the project in response to suggestions from the development’s informal presentation at a Committee of the Whole meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 16.

The design of the retention pond and landscaping for the the area was adjusted, fencing was added to the play area and pond, and some exterior construction materials were changed for the building to look less industrial.

With the city council’s unanimous vote approving the project, East Main Street can begin construction on the site in the near future.