Roundy's Hopes Taller Fence Keeps Trouble Out of Neighbors' Yards

Neighbors concerned with undesirable activity taking place at Pick ‘n Save, 4279 S. 76th St., and spilling over into their yards could notice big changes at the supermarket soon.

Three months after a handful of residents lambasted the 1-year-old Pick ‘n Save for a myriad of issues including safety, excess noise, lighting concerns and litter, the Common Council is expected to approve a site plan amendment that will allow Roundy’s to erect an 8-foot fence next to the existing 6-foot fence.

The fence separates serves as a divider between residential homes along Cold Spring Road and the store’s parking lot. Over the summer, there were incidents involving shoplifters scaling the existing fence and attempting to elude store security or Greenfield police officers by running through the adjacent neighborhood.

Get great local stories like this on Facebook. Click to join us!

The new fence, if approved by the Council at its meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, will make it more difficult for attempted shoplifters to get over because of its height and because support beams now used as “steps” for criminals on the run will be covered.

In addition to the fence, Roundy’s Real Estate Development Manager Max Dickman outlined other ways the store plans to be a better neighbor in a letter to the city:

• Pick ‘n Save’s security team has heightened its awareness of the activity on the exterior and around the fence area;
• The store will remain open until 1 a.m., but new signage will encourage customers to park on the east side of the parking lot (closest to 76th Street) after 10 p.m. to hopefully keep noise and car lights from disrupting neighbors;
• The parking lot’s lighting schedule has been changed; lights closest to neighbors to the west will turn off after 9:30 p.m. and back on at 8 a.m. if needed;
• The parking lot sweeper has been discontinued; the lot will be cleaned by hand every morning;
• A pedestrian crossing sign will be added to the Cold Spring Road exit to reinforce the need to beware of people walking or jogging along the street.

Chuck Erickson, the city’s community development manager, requested Roundy’s fence proposal skip past the Planning Commission and go directly to the Common Council.