HomeMy WebLinkAboutKoeller Land Disposition Memo
In 2018, the city dedicated street right of way to extend N. Koeller Street and connect to the N. Westfield
Street extension in order to serve Oshkosh Corporation's new global headquarters and the Oshkosh
Avenue redevelopment. The street extensions were designed using the recommendations from traffic
impact analysis that KL Engineering completed and to avoid the existing wetlands on the city property.
The street design left some excess land south of the newly extended N. Koeller Street and north of land
that is privately owned and the existing Rath Lane right of way that is currently being recommended by
the Plan Commission to be vacated.
The area in this request involves a 0.307 acre irregular-shaped outlot with wetlands on site. The general
area is undergoing major redevelopment in terms of new commercial development along the north side
of Oshkosh Avenue, the repurposing of the former Lakeshore Municipal Golf Course to a multi-use
community park and Oshkosh Corporation's new global headquarters.
From a commercial development aspect, the outlot in this request is undevelopable due to the irregular
shape and setback restrictions so therefore cannot be sold on its own. The property owner to the south
has requested that the existing Rath Lane cul da sac be vacated as the cul da sac only serves his
properties and he would be able to expand his developable area if it was vacated. By law, part of the
vacated street will be returned to the private property owner and the other portion will be returned to the
city. Should Council approve the request to vacate a portion of Rath Lane, the private developer
requested that the city dispose of the vacated property and the 0.307 acre outlot. The developer would
like to combine the additional acreage to his site and develop it.
Should the city elect to retain the 0.307 acre outlot, it will be subject to following the zoning
requirements set in the city's Corporate Business Park zoning district. This includes up to 30' setbacks,
landscaping and storm water requirements, and will be required to provide vehicular access from N.
Koeller and Rath Lane to the private property to the south due to the WisDOT access restrictions. The
City Parks Department or City Public Works Department will be required to maintain the infrastructure
on a year round basis to provide access. Multiple easements will need to be granted to allow the
developer to connect to the city's utilities as well. An analysis may need to be completed in order to
properly provide pedestrian access across N. Koeller or Rath Lane to the park. At this time, traffic on N.
Koeller does not stop per recommendations in the city's traffic impact analysis so a plan would need to
be established in order to safely allow pedestrian traffic.
The approval of the land disposition will need to be approved by the Plan Commission and Common
Council. The disposition of Outlet 2 may add land assessment value to the proposed redevelopment
south of N. Koeller Street. The land is also located in TID #35 and will create additional increment that
can be used for public improvements along the Oshkosh Avenue corridor.