Church Gets OK From Plan Commission

In relatively short order the long-vacant building at the corner of Tans Drive and Racine Avenue was granted permission to move forward and become the new satellite church for Fox River Christian Church in Waukesha.

A brief public hearing yielded only one resident who came to voice his support for his new neighbors.

"I'm definitely in favor of this - I think it's a good move, not that the previous owners were bad," said neighbor John Kronshage. "However, a church is always a good neighbor, so I say good luck and go for it."

Adam Trzebiatowski with the city's Community Development department, explained that the building has been vacant for about seven of the last 10 years, and that the changes would mainly be kept to the building's interior.

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"The main improvements will be made inside the building, with the removal of some walls to accommodate a worship space, and some of the windows being removed and filled in," Trzebiatowski said.

In addition, noted debris in the parking lot and overgrowth of the landscaping because of the lack of occupants in the building would have to be taken care of, but the city had also put those requirements into the church's conditional use. 

Guy Conn, senior pastor of the Waukesha location, said the church already has a worship space at the corner of Lawnsdale Road (Highway I) and Highway 164 in Waukesha, as well as a Waterford location. However, since its opening in 2000, the church has grown in size and had been looking for a satellite location nearby.

Work on the building will likely begin after a final vote by the Common Council, which could take up the matter as early as Feb. 12.