Developers seek OK for higher-end apartments in Oconto Falls

On June 14, the Oconto Falls City Council forwarded a proposal to build a 12-unit, high-end apartment complex to the city Planning Commission.

Developers Walter Gondeck Jr. and Wade Micoley are seeking a zoning variance and conditional use permit for the project, which would be built on an empty area on North Chestnut Avenue between Jackson and Van Buren streets, across the street from the Oconto Falls Municipal Building.

The Carriage Homes on Chestnut would feature units up to 1,870 square feet, with one to three bedrooms with separate entrances and attached garages. Eight additional garage stalls would be available, according to a flyer shared with the council.

Rising costs make it difficult to set a firm rate for rental, but the units will probably rent for roughly $1,050 to $1,500 a month, Micoley said.

“We’ve got a combination of things going against us right now,” he said. “Interest rates are going up. Construction costs are not coming down yet … but there seems to be a real need right now for a little bit higher-end rentals.”

The exterior of the building features a lot of stone and other quality materials, he said.

“It’s a very popular style right now in Green Bay and the Fox Valley,” Micoley said. “I think hands down this is going to be the nicest apartment project in this area, quality-wise and amenity-wise.”

The developers are asking for a variance from the zoning requirement that the buildings be set back 35 feet from the street, because the project fronts three streets. They submitted a site plan that places the apartments 35 feet off Chestnut but 15 feet off Van Buren and Jackson, greater than the side setbacks required between lots, Micoley said.

The Planning Commission scheduled a public hearing on the rezoning and conditional use permit request for 6:30 p.m. July 12 at the Municipal Building, 500 N. Chestnut Ave., just before the next regular City Council meeting.