Kenosha Plan Commission delays vote on revamp of Agile Plaza site
A new project to redevelop a dormant commercial site on the city’s north side still needs some details, according to members of the Kenosha Plan Commission.
Steve of LASS Properties has proposed a laundromat, storage facility and office or retail space at the Agile Plaza site, 1730 22nd Ave.
“Obviously the property has been an eyesore, and we are looking to get the project moving, ASAP,” said. “I think it’s only going to be a benefit to the neighborhood.”
In the past, Agile Plaza has housed a laundromat and a mixture of other businesses, including a gas station and convenience store and car wash. The laundromat has been closed for multiple years and will require a rezoning to resume operations.
Agile Plaza currently is zoned as a light manufacturing district, and the proposal under review calls for changing it to a business district.
Pleased, but want more details
At first , members of the Plan Commission said they were pleased there are efforts underway to breathe new life into the property during an initial review Thursday. But concerns about protocol and a perceived lack of full details prompted a delay in action.
Ald. Holly , who represents the district within Agile Plaza, asked commissioners to hold off on voting because she has yet to meet with Steve and understand the full scope of the project.
“As people in the Department of Inspections knows, I call regularly about this property because it’s been an eyesore for quite some time now,” Steve said. “I’m very happy that this is about to be something.”
“I would like to hear more about what this is going to be. I need time to digest this and learn more about it,” she said.
Ald. David , who sits on the Plan Commission, agreed it would be prudent to delay action until a meeting with Holly occurs.
“Before you move forward and start talking about rezoning properties, you need to talk to the alderman of the district,” David said. “From what I’ve seen here, the last several years, that’s become very, very laxed, and that’s got to stop. I think we need to be restoring regular order. This is to remind people in the development community that we are elected by the people.”
As for the project itself, the commissioner is hoping for more clear-cut long-range plans for the property, beyond the laundromat reopening.
“I see no teeth in the rest of the plan in ensuring the rest of the site is going to be upgraded,” the commissioner said. “We could be shooting ourselves in the foot. We don’t have any assurances.”
