City Council backs permits for church additions, senior daycare, student housing
BY KEVIN BONESKE
REPORTER/PHOTOGRAPHER
The planned construction of three separate additions for the Nativity of Our Lord property, located between South Pelham Street and Conro Street along East King Street in Rhinelander, received final approval to proceed Monday with the City Council authorizing a conditional use permit.
City fire chief/building inspector Terry Williams said the property is zoned B-2 (Central Business District), for which is a church or school is a conditional use. He also noted the building plan fits within the required setbacks.
As outlined in Nativity of Our Lord’s conditional use request put together by Groth Design Group, the parish is planning to remodel its current worship space with additions on the north, east and south side of the property.
The worship remodeling would consist of demolishing the balcony to create room for a gathering space at the south end of the nave, a new pew layout, modifying the alter to make it handicap accessible, updating the sacristy and accessory spaces, a new adoration chapel and entrance off Conro Street, and an upgrade to the existing mechanical and electrical systems.
The renovation would also allow the parish to separate school use and church functions for security of school programming.
ADULT DAYCARE
Council members also favored issuing a conditional use permit for an adult daycare for people age 60 and older at 1836 N. Stevens St.
Donna Braeger and Josephine Hill want to establish “Home Away From Home Loving Care” in the building along Stevens Street between Woodland Drive and Juniper Drive. They stated in their letter included with the layout plans that the building would be open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., excluding weekends and holidays.
The facility, which would have a dining area accommodate up to 25 clients, would also have the capacity for up to 10 employees. Clients would have the option of attending the adult daycare for a partial or entire day at a rate of $45 for a half day or less, or $70 a day for an entire 8-hour day, according to the letter from Braeger and Hill.
Before the facility could operate, however, city attorney Carrie Miljevich said the city code would need to be changed as it relates to daycare facilities. Council members set a public hearing for their May 8 meeting to consider those changes.
STUDENT LODGING
Council members also voted in favor of granting a conditional use permit sought by Dwight Webb to locate a lodging house for students/young adults and accommodate office/business rental units in the former Taylor Park building along Boyce Drive.
The permit request notes the building would undergo “minimal remodeling to accommodate the new purpose in the resident wings” with each room in the resident wings accommodating up to two people and each wing of the resident area employing a part-time resident assistant, while the commercial rental space would undergo no remodeling and continue to be operated at its current use.
Much of the council’s discussion centered on continuing to provide trail access behind the building for the Nature Conservancy of Wisconsin’s Holmboe Conifer Forest Preserve until a new agreement could be negotiated for access to the preserve.
To locate a lodging house and accommodate office/business rental units, the property would require a zoning change from B-3 (General Business District) to CB (Community Building District). Council members also set a public hearing for May 8 to make that change.
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