The Prescott Plan Commission gave a greenlight – albeit very preliminary – to plans for a retail and condominium development that would replace St. Croix Liquor, 20 Orange Street, and the adjacent former restaurant building (formerly the Slipp Inn) on Orange Street. A vacant lot behind St. Croix would also be included.

Larry Johnson owns St. Croix Liquor and the vacant lot. Greg John owns the property at 214 Front St. Those three lots would be redeveloped for up to three floors of condominiums with retail at the street level and two levels of enclosed parking.

The developers met with the plan commission at its meeting Monday, April 3. Commissioners had some concerns over the height of the building restricting river views, but the main thing discussed was parking.

The new building would be a planned unit development, which means it doesn’t fit into current zoning. Additional restrictions can be put in place for things like parking.

Together the properties are .33 acres in size. The proposal is for a building 45-feet tall, compared to the Eagle Point condominiums nearby, another planned unit development, that is 55-feet high.

In the city’s downtown commercial zoning, buildings are allowed to be 35-feet high. City Planner Carter Hayes said the city doesn’t have fire equipment to handle emergencies at buildings taller than that and has to call either the Cottage Grove or River Falls departments for mutual assistance.

Two options were presented to the plan commission: One with two levels of condominiums and one with three. Two different parking options were shared. One would be standard ramp parking of two levels, and one was an automated parking system where residents park their car, hit a button and it’s shuttled below ground.

“One concern is the lack of parking downtown,” Hayes said, noting that some residents may use scarce on-street parking instead of using the automated parking unit.

“They might take the quicker options, which would be parking along the street,” he said.

Johnson said the plan is that the liquor store would relocate to the retail level. He and siblings recently purchase Papa Tronio’s Pizza, 202 Broad St., and would likely relocate that to the new building as well.

“We’re thinking that will be included in this new building at the retail level, along with the liquor store,” said Johnson.

The concept with three levels of condos includes 24 one- and two-bedroom units on three levels. There would be 6,970 square feet of retail space, and 38 parking units.

Plan commissioner David Hovel said that should be expanded to at least 42 units and the project should be built not taking away any on-street parking.

“The biggest thing is the parking issue,” Hovel said, noting that while the building is taller than the local firefighting equipment could handle, it also would be built with a sprinkler system.

Parking was the biggest item brought up by commission members.

“My biggest concern is parking,” said alderperson John Peterson. “It’s not so much with your project. It’s overall.”

Johnson noted that for many of the residents, it likely would be a summer home only.

“A lot of them will be leaving in the wintertime, and they don’t have a lot of vehicles,” he said.

With conceptual OK, the matter moved to the city council for review. Developers can now refine plans that the planners and city would then approve.

“This is just a concept. Now they’re going to start thinking a little harder,” Hovel said.