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Consideration of a Conditional Use Permit for a 24-hour laundromat in the Neighborhood Village Trade/North Avenue Overlay (C1/NOR) zone at 7105 W. North Avenue, Chris Doerner, applicant
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Submitted by:
Art Pi?on
Department:
Development
A. Background/Options
The applicant is requesting a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) to operate a 24-hour laundromat at 7105 W. North Avenue, located within the Neighborhood Village Trade and North Avenue Overlay (C1/NOR) zoning district. Surrounding land uses consist of residential to the south and commercial uses to the north, east, and west.
A laundromat is a permitted use by right at this location. However, City Code requires a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for businesses operating outside the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. within the North Avenue Overlay zone. As such, a CUP is required for the proposed 24-hour operation.
The required public hearing was held at the January 27, 2026 Common Council meeting. During the hearing, three (3) members of the public spoke in opposition to the proposal. In addition, seven (7) letters and two (2) e-comments were submitted opposing the request. Public concerns included public safety, late-night noise, parking impacts, trash and property maintenance issues, potential reduction in property values, and concerns regarding precedent for other 24-hour businesses along North Avenue. The applicants spoke in favor of the proposal. A link to all written public comments and a recording of the meeting are attached.
During project review, the Wauwatosa Police Department expressed concerns regarding the proposed 24-hour operation and provided data supporting those concerns. According to the Police Department, a similar 24-hour laundromat in Wauwatosa owned by the same applicant has generated 88 calls for service since January 1, 2023. These calls included reports of disorderly subjects, welfare checks (including vagrancy, overdose, and unhoused person related calls), thefts, citizen assis...
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