Town of Waukesha — Tom Kelenic hopes changes to his plan to build a new indoor sports training facility at Infinity Fields will satisfy the plan commission and town board.
Kelenic, owner of Five Diamonds Inc., which operates the 31.86-acre complex at W234 S3555 Les Paul Parkway, has adjusted the location of the building after it was discovered that the proposed facility would have violated town code with its proximity to nearby wetlands.
Originally, the nearly 43,000-square-foot facility was proposed for 10 feet south of a wetland.
Under town ordinance, at least 30 feet must separate a building from a new wetland line. Filling or grading activities within the 30-foot offset area is also not allowed.
With Town Attorney John Macy bringing to attention this ordinance, the town plan commission put Kelenic's proposal for the building on hold at its February meeting.
Now, town planner Jamie Rybarczyk said Kelenic has moved the building out of this 30-foot zone by shifting it to the north.
Rybarczyk said that moving the building affected the outfield of one of the complex's fields. He said the field that Catholic Memorial High School uses will have to be modified to accommodate the facility, which would be operated by NX Level.
At the meeting in February, Kelenic said moving to the north wasn't an option, but Rybarczyk said Kelenic ultimately decided to make the modifications.
Other adjustments
Rybarczyk also added that Kelenic has included additional landscape plantings at the foundation of the building, something lacking from the previous plan.
According to documents filed with the town, the size of the sports training facility has been scaled down from just under 43,000 square feet to about 41,680 square feet.
Two baseball diamonds in the southeast corner of the site, as previously proposed, would still be removed from the site to make way for the facility.
The plan commission and town board will review the new plan and could amend Kelenic's site plan and plan of operation to allow for the facility at its meeting on Thursday, March 12, at town hall.
NX Level, which has a facility in Pewaukee, would house a turf zone training area, a sand pit, cardio section, weight area, basketball and volleyball area and physical therapy section for people of all ages.
Kelenic was also looking to add a multiuse field on the property and 86 parking stalls to accommodate the new building.
As proposed, the facility would be open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. The site plan and plan of operation allows the baseball complex to be open from 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. daily.
Infinity Fields opened in May 2012; youth leagues and the Catholic Memorial High School baseball team use the complex.
Zoning changes
A public hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday at town hall, W250 S3567 Center Road, before the town's regularly scheduled plan commission and town board meeting at 6:30 p.m.
Town Chairman John Marek said Kelenic requested to have text in one of the ordinances amended. But Marek said he asked Kelenic to petition other ordinances as well so the town would not have to spend extra money on holding multiple hearings.
The ordinance Kelenic is petitioning to have changed relates to the definition of a structure and whether a driveway should fit into these wetlands boundaries, Marek said.
Another zoning change that is part of the public hearing relates to adjusting the language within the conservancy district.
Kelenic declined to comment on his updated facility plans as well as the zoning code change.