WINONA, Minn. – The City Council was 5-2 in favor of exempting the development company Whitewater Properties from zoning regulations to build a 63-unit apartment building at 51 Riverview Drive. The vote:
For variance
Jerome Christenson (at-large).
Pamela Eyden (3rd Ward, downtown).
Jeff Hyma (2nd Ward, West Side).
Aaron Repinski (at-large).
Scott Sherman (mayor).
Against
Steve Young (1st Ward, West End).
George Borzyskowski (4th Ward, East End).
Pros and cons
The Winona Daily News reported these views:
Mitchell Walch, Whitewater Properties manager: The project supports the city’s comprehensive plan and coexists with other riverfront development. A tax asset.
Christopher Sanchez, chair, Board of Adjustment: Irresponsible to have so much density in an area zoned for mixed use, especially with parking.
Carlos Espinosa, city planner: Height will be a visually attractive graduation between residential, downtown fringe and downtown core properties.
Jerome Christenson, City Council member: Other structures already exceed the 40-foot vertical maximum, including both Highway 43 bridges across ghe Mississippi and the new Fastenal building on the waterfront. Could open the way for further multi-story residential development west of downtown.
Pamela Eyden, City Council member: Will make better use of city services by concentrating more people in less space. A beautiful site that should been developed long ago.
Aaron Repinski, City Council member: An asset to ease city’s housing needs. Also a tax asset what’s now vacant land.
Steve Young, City Council member: A rather densely populated building in relatively small area poses parking issues.
Walch. The face of Whitewater Properties.
Whitewater profile
A limited liability corporation created under Minnesota law in 1994. Original headquarters was in Prior Lake, a southwest Minneapolis suburb, with Jerome Miller as manager. Since then the company headquarters has moved to Altura in Winona County and hen to St. Charles with Mitchell Walch of Coffee House Realty as manager.