Plan Commission

Minutes Agenda Packet City Website ↗

Two Rivers’ Plan Commission signed off on four site plans—two apartment buildings on Forest Ave, a new Renee’s Popcorn facility, a Lakeshore Humane Society relocation, and a Vietnam Park baseball diamond rebuild. They also hit pause on a downtown/waterfront setback rule change after saying the draft language was unclear.

Approved an amended 3000 Forest Ave apartment project: two 3-story, 26-unit buildings, with a second (gated) emergency-only driveway and a required fire hydrant relocation—another step toward a sizable new rental build on the city’s north side.

Tabled a proposed Main Street/waterfront overlay setback change after discussing a push for zero front/side setbacks in B-1 areas—then acknowledging the ordinance wording was unclear and needs rework before moving forward.

Approved plans for Renee’s Popcorn to relocate to 2702 18th St with a new 6,000 sq. ft. facility, plus approved the Lakeshore Humane Society’s new Two Rivers facility plan (a project that already had a conditional use permit approved in 2025).

No public comments or communications recorded for this meeting.

Review of Site and Architectural Plan for the construction of a Planned Unit Development (PUD) for a residential development at 3000 Forest Avenue, submitted by Elite Builds, Inc.
Passed 6-0
The commission recommended approval of an amended apartment development at 3000 Forest Ave: two 3-story buildings with 26 units each, replacing an existing building that will be demolished. The updated plan drops landscaping details and adds a second driveway on the north side that will be gated for emergency vehicles only. Approval was conditioned on moving a proposed fire hydrant to the southeast corner of Building #2—good to see safety details spelled out, but the landscaping removal is the kind of “later” detail residents should expect to come back in some form.
Roll call vote 6 yes 1 absent
Matt Heckenlaible yes
Rick Inman yes
Pat Klein yes
Kay Koach yes
Kyle Kordell yes
Kristin Lee yes
Adam Wachowski absent
Review of Site and Architectural Plans for Renee’s Popcorn, located at 2702 - 18th Street, in Industrial District I-2, submitted by Keller, Inc.
Passed 6-0
The commission approved Renee’s Popcorn’s plan to relocate from 2716 Memorial Drive to 2702 18th Street into a new 6,000 sq. ft. facility. The application says the new building will improve safety and provide more space, including a truck docking area, and the site is positioned for future expansion. This is a straightforward industrial move, but it’s still a meaningful shift in traffic and operations for the 18th Street area.
Roll call vote 6 yes 1 absent
Matt Heckenlaible yes
Rick Inman yes
Pat Klein yes
Kay Koach yes
Kyle Kordell yes
Kristin Lee yes
Adam Wachowski absent
Review of Site and Architectural Plans for Lakeshore Humane Society located at Columbus Street, Parcel No. 053-211-102-001.09, in the Industrial District (I-2), submitted by ACE Building Service Inc (applicant) and Lakeshore Human Society (owner).
Passed 6-0
The commission approved the site and building plan for a new Lakeshore Humane Society facility on Columbus Street in the I-2 district. The plan includes a 16,524 sq. ft. building, a dog-walking path, and a storm basin, with the walking path potentially built in a later phase. Meeting records note a conditional use permit for this project was approved in 2025, so this vote was about the build details rather than the basic “can it go here” question.
Roll call vote 6 yes 1 absent
Matt Heckenlaible yes
Rick Inman yes
Pat Klein yes
Kay Koach yes
Kyle Kordell yes
Kristin Lee yes
Adam Wachowski absent
Review of Site and Architectural Plans for Vietnam Park Baseball Development, located at 1300 – 35th Street, submitted by Two Rivers Youth Sports.
Passed 6-0
The commission approved Two Rivers Youth Sports’ plan to replace the “Blue” baseball diamond at Vietnam Park. The approval explicitly does not include the press box and dugouts, which will come back later—an example of the city approving projects in pieces, which can make it harder for residents to see the full cost and final design at once. The minutes also note builders will take precautions due to an osprey nest near the site.
Roll call vote 6 yes 1 absent
Matt Heckenlaible yes
Rick Inman yes
Pat Klein yes
Kay Koach yes
Kyle Kordell yes
Kristin Lee yes
Adam Wachowski absent
Ordinance to amend Section 10-1-35.5 Main Street and waterfront corridor overlay district, to define setbacks for buildings.
Tabled
The commission discussed changing the Main Street/waterfront overlay rules to require zero front and side setbacks for B-1 properties, saying the goal is to encourage more retail-style development. But they also flagged that the draft ordinance language was unclear and noted potential “vision issues,” then chose to delay rather than vote on a confusing rule. They tabled it to the May 11 meeting—residents who care about downtown building design and walkability should watch for a clearer rewrite and a more concrete explanation of tradeoffs.