Common Council, October 20, 2026
Approves Plan Commission rezoning for car lot on vacant commercial property, unanimous
What happened
The Green Bay Common Council referred the proposed vacant commercial building registration ordinance (Ordinance 2426) back to the Protection and Policy Committee on a voice vote, after a motion to approve as amended failed 5-7 and a motion to deny also failed 5-7.
- Jurisdiction
- Green Bay, WI
- Governing body
- Final authority
- Date
- October 20, 2026
- Decisions
- 3 zoning decisions
- Outcome
- Approved, unanimous
Free sample: decision 1 of 3
Vacant commercial building registration ordinance referred back to committee
Proposed vacant commercial property registration ordinance. The draft had no initial registration fee, a $500 first annual fee and a $1,000 second annual fee, escalating to $4,000 per year. It applies to buildings that are 100% vacant. Two amendments by Alder Presley were adopted: (1) strike the 12-month limit on the active-sale/lease exemption in Section 8-339B; (2) in Section 8-338E, unpaid vacant registration fees stay with the previous owner rather than transferring to an arm's-length buyer. A motion to approve as amended failed 5-7. A motion to deny (Eck/Morgan) failed 5-7. A motion by Presley, seconded by Hutchison, to refer the item back to the Protection and Policy Committee carried by voice vote. Opposition came from property owner Steve Schneider, Grow Green Bay, Goldfinch Management, the Apartment Association of Northeast Wisconsin and the Realtors Association of Northeast Wisconsin.
- Strike 12-month cap on for-sale/lease exemption (8-339B)
- Unpaid registration fees not imposed on arm's-length new owner (8-338E)
The other decisions are listed below by title. The full write-up, verbatim conditions, and the audio at each vote are in Pro.
Meeting Summary
The Green Bay Common Council referred the proposed vacant commercial building registration ordinance (Ordinance 2426) back to the Protection and Policy Committee on a voice vote, after a motion to approve as amended failed 5-7 and a motion to deny also failed 5-7.
Key Decisions (3)
Vacant commercial building registration ordinance referred back to committee
Plan Commission rezoning for car lot on vacant commercial property
First-reading ordinance item two held to next meeting
Development Activity (1)
Car lot on rezoned vacant commercial property
Commercial
Market Signals (4)
Commercial Demand
A downtown property owner cited Green Bay office vacancy of…
Sentiment
Local investors and real-estate associations strongly oppose vacancy fees, and…
Commercial Demand
417 Pine Street downtown is fully occupied by a data…
Housing Demand
Apartment association reports double-digit increases in operating costs and new…
Who Spoke (19)
On the record: 7 councilmembers and 6 members of the public.
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