A new development that would combine retail and office space with high-end apartments and would have an estimated value of up to $8 million dollars has been proposed along the north side of Highway 16 across from the West Salem Veterinary Clinic.

The West Salem Planning Commission members learned in a meeting last Wednesday evening that Onalaska developer David Birdd is planning a project involving two buildings that would combine 54 apartments with 16,663 square feet of professional office and retail space.

The buildings would be three stories high, with the office and retail space on the first floor only and residential units above. Meanwhile, 60 parking spaces would be available for residents in an underground parking lot. Because the area is currently zoned as commercial, a hearing will need to be held on a conditional-use permit to allow the residential aspect of the development.

Birdd and architect Jerome Saterbak stressed that while the side of the development facing Highway 16 would be commercial, the back side facing residences on the south side of Branding Iron Road would have much less traffic.

“The north side is a quiet area while the other side will be commercial,” Saterbak said.

Since residents would use the underground parking places, Birdd said he expected little traffic in the development’s rear.

“It (the project as a whole) could provide a nice buffer between the residences there now and Highway 16,” Birdd said.

Saterbak said he’s done more than 6,000 apartment units during his career, but never one quite like this. “David came to me a couple of years ago and said, ‘We’ve got to do something with this property. We’ve been thinking about the best use of the site for a long time.’”

Birdd, who has built twindominums in West Salem and the Riverwood Condominums on Highway 16 near Sparta, said he’s worked all over the state of Wisconsin. He also said he’d been approached several times by parties wanting to buy the property just east of Deals and Steals to use as car lots or as a dollar store.

“It’s a beautiful location, but I didn’t think that was a proper use of the space with those residential units behind it,” Birdd said.

Asked what kinds of businesses were expected to be in the commercial spaces, Saterbak said “anything from lawyers to dentists to boutiques.”

Birdd added that he had already heard from several parties who had expressed interest in the residential spaces.

The apartments “will be “higher end,” Birdd said. The one-bedroom units will be 800 square feet and the two-bedroom units will be 1,000 square feet.

“We build top end apartments and they sell fast,” Birdd said.

Commission members seemed generally favorable to the proposed project. “I’m impressed with this — I think it could be something West Salem really needs,” said Joe Burke.

Village President Dennis Manthei wanted to know if a dollar value could be placed on the project.

“Well, it’s 100,000 square feet so I’d guess $7 to $8 million,” Saterbak said.

Saterbak emphasized that no design and engineering work had been done yet and that, for the project to be feasible it required more than just the commercial revenue. “We will need the residential to generate additional revenue.”

Saterbak and Birdd said they’d brought the matter to the commission to find out whether it would be something West Salem wants and, if so, they hoped to work in concert with the commission.

“I think we need a public hearing on this,” Birdd said.

Village Administrator Teresa Schnitzler advised that a public hearing is required for a conditional-use permit.

The commission set a public hearing on the matter for 6:30 p.m. Feb. 4. Atter that meeting, the commission will discuss whether to recommend approval of the conditional-use permit to the full West Salem Village Board. The board’s next meeting after the public hearing will be Feb. 16.

Saterbak said that if given the green light on the project, it would be a good six months before physical work could start. “We’ve got a lot of design work to do — the only one who knows what it’s going to look like right now is probably me.”

Birdd added that he could envision starting on the development later this summer.