City planning staff told the West Allis Common Council on a public hearing that they are proposing an ordinance to raise the maximum allowed size for residential accessory buildings on paved surfaces from 150 square feet to 300 square feet.

Steve Scherer, director of city planning and zoning, said staff reviewed neighboring communities and found varied approaches: Oak Creek allows up to 400 square feet, Greenfield 250 square feet and Wauwatosa uses a percentage-of-lot approach (typically 12% of lot size). Scherer said the proposal would increase flexibility and be “capped at a maximum of 300 square feet” while keeping existing setback requirements unchanged. He said the Planning Commission recommended approval and that “there have been no objections to date.”

Alderman Grisham asked how many accessory structures are permitted on a property; Scherer said typically one. Alderman Haas sought clarification on whether a homeowner could have both a shed and a gazebo; Scherer again said “technically just 1 per property.” The discussion noted that communities use different technical approaches (fixed square footage vs. percentage of lot) and that the city’s draft aims to balance flexibility for larger lots while preventing oversized sheds.

The public hearing was closed after the presentation. No final council vote on the ordinance is recorded in the transcript provided.