Development of a mixed-use, 29-unit apartment complex is moving ahead in downtown Brookfield.
Village trustees voiced support April 28 for the preliminary application by Connemara Holdings, LLC, to develop the rental space at 8921 and 8947 Fairview Avenue at the triangle-shaped property between Fairview and Brookfield avenues, just steps away from the downtown intersection with Prairie Avenue and Grand Boulevard.
The plans include three commercial units on the ground floor and 29 residential apartments across the building’s four floors, of which 22 are two-bedroom, two-bathroom units and seven are one-bedroom, one-bathroom, said Libby Popovic, Brookfield’s community development director.
The business spaces will range in size from 1,859 square feet in the east unit to 2,574 square feet in the west and about 2,800 square feet in the center, Popovic said.
The village board will take a formal vote on the application at its May 12 regular meeting before incoming Trustee Kyle Whitehead is sworn in to take the seat of outgoing Trustee Edward Côté.
According to meeting agenda documents, 8921 Fairview Ave., the eastern parcel, is vacant, while 8947 Fairview Ave. is a storage building that will be torn down.
Popovic said the preliminary approval of the plan allows the developers to move forward with engineering and architectural work without being completely tied to what’s on paper.
“The village needs enough information and data and material to make sure that this preliminary plan would work as it’s being presented. The final planned development process is approved if there’s substantial compliance with the preliminary approval,” she said.
The developers must apply for final approval within a year of receiving preliminary approval and must construct the building over the two years after that or ask for an extension, Popovic said.
She said the plan included multiple variations from village code for the property, largely related to its triangular shape, including the number of parking spots. Under Brookfield’s village code, the property should have 37 parking spots at 1.25 spots per dwelling for 29 units. The plans include just 15 parking spots, plus bicycle parking that accounts for two spots, leaving 20 spots missing.
Popovic and Village Manager Tim Wiberg said there would be more than enough village-owned parking along the BNSF line to accommodate an agreement for renters to park there, should the village board agree.
“I am very comfortable with the amount of parking that’s available along that stretch of Brookfield Avenue. As we all know, COVID has had a big impact on the number of commuters,” Wiberg said. “On a weekly, monthly basis, there are many, many parking spaces available, all on Brookfield Avenue. … The only time I’ve noticed that parking is completely taken is during our concerts on Grand.”
Trustees suggested adding a new crosswalk across Fairview Avenue so residents of the complex can safely make their way to the sidewalk that wraps around to Grand Boulevard. They pointed to a small section of the street in front of 8906 Fairview Ave. that is not a parking spot as a possible location.
The grassy tip of the triangle property facing the downtown intersection belongs to Brookfield. Trustee Jennifer Hendricks suggested making the point a public amenity.
Andrea Crowley, the attorney for the project, said they could discuss the bounds of the park but that she was “potentially concerned” about becoming “the private owner of a public space.”
After further discussion, including touching on the logistics of coordinating separate maintenance work, Wiberg suggested Brookfield donate it to the landowner for the sake of simplicity.
“If you wanted to do that and then put the onus on us to landscape it and maintain it, we’re doing it anyway. Obviously, we’ll have landscape crews out there cutting grass, plantings, cleaning up, whatever types of things depending on the season,” Crowley said. “It’s such a small piece with, really, very little on it, so we’re talking about nothing to us in terms of maintenance because we’re going to have crews out there anyway.”
Village President Michael Garvey suggested letting village staff decide the fate of the grassy point.
“Some of these details can be sorted out in the process going forward if this is approved,” he said.
