St. Francis rezoning hearing rescheduled for Feb. 2

The public hearing on the proposed zoning change for the We Energies and Cousins Center parcels in St. Francis, which Cardinal Stritch University has proposed to develop as its south campus, is rescheduled for 6:30pm Monday, Feb. 2 at St. Francis High School, 4225 S. Lake Dr.

The first try at the public hearing was canceled Jan. 5 after so many people tried to attend but could not all fit inside St. Francis City Hall.

Stritch wants to redevelop the 129 acres as a college campus. Before they purchase the properties, they have requested this area be rezoned from R3 to PUD, or a planned unit development. If a PUD is approved, St. Francis Mayor Al Richards has said city of St. Francis officials would negotiate with Stritch regarding more specific development plans, including placement of structures, before any actual site plan would be approved.

Stritch has raised the hackles of some neighbors because its preliminary conceptual plan for the site shows environmentally contaminated capped land adjacent to Seminary Woods on the current We Energies property being converted from prairie into a parking lot and sports fields.

The public hearing Feb. 2 is the public’s opportunity to comment on the proposed zoning change prior to the St. Francis Common Council voting whether to approve it, after the unanimous Nov. 20 recommendation for adoption by the St. Francis Planning Commission.

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