Neighbor testimony dominated the public-comment period at Verona’s Nov. 24 Common Council meeting as several residents objected to a proposed rezoning and redevelopment of the Backus (also referenced as Bacchus) property.

Melanie Hunt, who identified herself and her husband as residents adjacent to the site, said the pair oppose changing the land from single-family to urban residential and repeated long-standing concerns about drainage, noting that Highway M construction in 2017–2019 previously rerouted water onto her property. "Susceptibility doesn't remove responsibility," Hunt said, urging the city and developer to protect existing homeowners and preserve the neighborhood character.

Other neighbors echoed those worries. An unidentified resident who had earlier thanked the council for visiting her home said she and others felt ignored by the developer and presented a rendering showing that the proposed building would appear two to three stories tall from their basement. Dale Bieske, who lives on Shady Bend Road, said about 13 households signed a September 20 letter to the city opposing a proposed public-works site on Shady Bend because of traffic, noise, environmental and safety concerns.

Scott Side challenged how the developer Fiduciary was being described. Citing public materials and the company’s online information, he said he could not find a Madison headquarters and that the firm’s offices appear to be in downtown Milwaukee. Side also said he had spoken with Carolyn Eswein of CE Planning Studio, whom the city consulted on its 2015 North Neighborhood comprehensive-plan update; he said Eswein recommended single-family or duplex housing for the Backus site to preserve an appropriate transition from higher- to lower-density areas.

Tony DeRosa of Fiduciary Real Estate briefed the council on the developer’s next steps: a neighborhood meeting with several adjacent homeowners on Dec. 4, additional renderings to clarify design and a surveyor staking property and building lines so neighbors and staff have accurate site information. "We're looking at that as an opportunity to bring some additional renderings to clear up any confusion," DeRosa said.

The council did not take formal zoning action at the Nov. 24 meeting. The developer’s upcoming on-site meetings and the materials it provides will be part of the record if and when a formal rezoning or conditional-use application is filed and noticed for future review.

What happens next: Fiduciary will meet with neighbors Dec. 4; any formal applications or zoning changes would come back to the planning commission and Common Council in public, noticed hearings.