Brookfield gives preliminary approval to Trader Joe’s plans

The third Trader Joe’s grocery store in the state is headed to Brookfield, having been approved last year as part of the Target development on Bluemound Road.

On Monday, the Brookfield Plan Commission approved the visuals of this sight plan for the project along with the aesthetics of the grocery store’s façade.

Alderman Gary Makhorn said that in his time as an elected official, getting a Trader Joe’s to Brookfield is one of the top 10 most asked about topics, up there with property taxes on the list.

The 12,500 square-foot grocery store will use most of the same materials as the Target in the Underwood Crossing development, including the same stone and a similar brick. Located in the northeast corner of the plot next to a retailer to be named later, the national upscale grocer will have a single entrance on the Bluemound Road side.

There will be 140 spots in the parking lot on the parcel, which will be separated, to some degree, by landscaping from the store to the west. City officials did admit that they were relaxing the long-standing policy of buildings being aesthetically accounted for on all four sides since a grove of trees will essentially hide the south side of the building.

Accommodations were made to strategically place dumpsters to minimize their visibility from drivers crossing Bluemound. A 250-foot buffer assuaged the fears of city officials. Also, a wall specifically designed to keep the grocery carts out of sight was part of the plan.

A recommendation from the Plan Commission still must be approved by the Common Council, which could be as soon as next week’s meeting.