June 15, 2009

Steering & Rules Committee Meeting

June 15, 2009 1:30 pm

The Steering and Rules committee, which consists of the Council President and the chairs of the other standing committees, formulate polices and rules for the Common Council, oversees charter schools, and considers extraordinary matters affecting multiple committees.[...]

Historic Preservation Commission Meeting

June 15, 2009 3:00 pm

The Milwaukee Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) administers Milwaukee’s historic preservation ordinance, adopted in 1981, which provides certain kinds of legal protection for buildings or sites that have been declared historic by the Common Council. The HPC is responsible for designating historic landmarks and historic districts and for approving Certificates of Appropriateness (COAs) for permission to [...]

June 16, 2009

Common Council Meeting

June 16, 2009 9:00 am

The Common Council exercises all policy-making and legislative powers of the city, including the adoption of ordinances and resolutions, the approval of the city’s annual budget, and the enactment of appropriation and tax levy ordinances. The council also has approval over the mayor’s appointments of cabinet heads to direct day-to-day operations of city departments. In [...]

Milwaukee County: Committee on Parks, Energy and Environment Meeting

June 16, 2009 9:00 am

All matters concerning county parks and parkways are the responsibility of this Committee. Members set policy for the parks department, organized recreation, cultural activities, the University Extension program, the Environmental Services Division of the Department of Public Works and Zoo park services. Members have jurisdiction over matters concerning the conservation of all uses [...]

Kinnickinnic River Trail Meeting

June 16, 2009 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm

Groundwork Milwaukee and the NPS Rivers & Trails Program will be holding an Open House and to allow residents to provide your comments about the preliminary designs for trailheads along the Kinnickinnic River Trail.[...]

All matters concerning county parks and parkways are the responsibility of this Committee. Members set policy for the parks department, organized recreation, cultural activities, the University Extension program, the Environmental Services Division of the Department of Public Works and Zoo park services. Members have jurisdiction over matters concerning the conservation of all uses of energy and make recommendations relating to conservation of air, water, energy and all other resources.

Meets at 9:00 A.M. on the 2nd Tuesday before the County Board Meeting

Agenda

The Milwaukee Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) administers Milwaukee’s historic preservation ordinance, adopted in 1981, which provides certain kinds of legal protection for buildings or sites that have been declared historic by the Common Council. The HPC is responsible for designating historic landmarks and historic districts and for approving Certificates of Appropriateness (COAs) for permission to alter historic buildings.

The HPC meets monthly on Mondays in City Hall, Room 301A, 200 E. Wells Street at 3:00 P.M. unless otherwise indicated.

Agenda

The Common Council exercises all policy-making and legislative powers of the city, including the adoption of ordinances and resolutions, the approval of the city’s annual budget, and the enactment of appropriation and tax levy ordinances. The council also has approval over the mayor’s appointments of cabinet heads to direct day-to-day operations of city departments. In addition to their powers as legislators, council members serve as district administrators, responsible to the citizens in their districts for city services.

Agenda

City Hall
200 East Wells St.
Common Council Chambers
Milwaukee, WI 53202

The Steering and Rules committee, which consists of the Council President and the chairs of the other standing committees, formulate polices and rules for the Common Council, oversees charter schools, and considers extraordinary matters affecting multiple committees.

Agenda

City Hall
200 East Wells Street, Room 301-B
Milwaukee, WI 53202

If you haven’t had the chance to check out Old World Third Street in Milwaukee’s Westown neighborhood in a while, make it a point to do so.  The past year has brought a lot of new businesses to the street, including enough new restaurants to feed you for a week.  Brick 3 Pizza, Capone’s, a greatly expanded Wisconsin Cheese Mart, Notte, Molly Cool’s, Bootleggers, Milwaukee Brat House, Suite.  All new businesses that opened since the spring of 2008, and all businesses that appear to be thriving.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel recently ran a piece detailing the expansion of Ken McNulty’s Wisconsin Cheese Mart.  The story is a feel good piece about a man who purchased a long-running business and has been able to not only sustain the store’s operations, but expand despite the worldwide economic recession.

There was a part of the story that caught my eye though.

He approached the Chocolate Tree owners next door to see if they would be willing to move.

The Chocolate Tree moved to West Bend. As part of the deal, McNulty paid for the move and developed a Web site for its Internet sales.

And the chocolate store will keep a presence on Old World 3rd St. The Cheese Mart will sell its chocolate truffles and other chocolates.

What’s interesting is that Patrick McIlheran of the Journal Sentinel reported on this same chocolate store closing earlier, claiming the store left because of bad parking in the area.  No mention of the Wisconsin Cheese Market’s expansion, just a note that the Chocolate Tree would be leaving for the northern ‘burbs (where the store owner resides).

McIlheran went on to cite an UrbanMilwaukee article as claiming there is too much parking downtown.  He missed the conclusion of the article though, where I proposed a solution of market-pricing parking stalls to free up more parking near businesses and replacing surface lots with new developments (that may include parking garages) to encourage walkability.

So despite Mchileran’s doom and gloom analysis of downtown businesses, it appears things are actually going quite well on Old World Third.  On top of all the new businesses, there is even an Aloft Hotel under development in the Park East land.

A special thanks goes out to Ken McNulty and all the other business owners on Old World Third Street for not only keeping their businesses in downtown Milwaukee, but expanding their businesses in downtown Milwaukee.

Hometown Site

Hometown Site

Aloft

The Brewery

Corcoran Lofts

This meeting had a couple of topics of particular interest, the use of eminent domain, and TIF policy.

The first file of interest involved the possibility of the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Milwaukee utilizing eminent domain to acquire two properties and convey them to Pete’s Marketplace, Inc. which would expand its facilities and add between 30 and 40 new employees.  Alderman Murphy expressed his concern over the City of Milwaukee taking such an action saying “I’m very reluctant to support the use of eminent domain.”  Despite offers of $275,000 for the vacant lots, at 1443 and 1445-47 S. Muskego Ave., the properties were recently appraised at approximately $15,000, because the owners, the Cetina family, had over the time they’d owned the property been required to demolish the existing buildings on the site due to their conditions.  The Cetina family had attempted to construct a new building for the purpose of opening a restaurant or nightclub, but neighborhood opposition stopped them from obtaining a liquor license.  This file was approved and will now go before the full Common Council.

There was also a communications file reporting about activities related to the City of Milwaukee’s Tax Incremental Financing Districts.  The report predicted that in 2010 the city could close three more districts, unless they are extended, including district 56 which is notably “extremely lucrative,” and five districts appear they could be closed in 2011.  It also showed that districts 20 and 21 are currently under-performing and will need to receive donations.  Finally, it also pointed out that in 2008 there was $1.2 billion in increment which represents 3.7% city’s total equalized value of $32.3 billion.

During this discussion Alderman Bauman seem to argue that city needs to utilize TIF more often and with more projects during this downturn when he asked “what precisely are we doing to prime the pump?”  He brought up New Land Enterprises’ proposed building at N. VanBuren St. and E. Kilbourn Ave. and expressed his concern over the Department of City Development not pushing projects that request TIF funds.   Specifically, he said we have “put a big bucket of cold water on the project behind closed doors,” and added that “if you don’t bring the project forward we can’t have the debate.  James Scherer, of DCD , responded that “my concern with it, was that it had no equity in it at all.”  Alderman Murphy agreed expressing that “if nobody has any skin in the game there is no reason to have them as a partner.”

Groundwork Milwaukee and the NPS Rivers & Trails Program will be holding an Open House and to allow residents to provide your comments about the preliminary designs for trailheads along the Kinnickinnic River Trail.

Outpost Natural Foods
Community Room
2826 S KK Avenue
Bay View

Come to the Open House and provide your comments about the preliminary designs for trailheads for the following three locations along the Kinnickinnic River Trail:
E Maple St & S. Kinnickinnic Avenue
S. First Street & Lincoln Avenue
S. Sixth Street and Rosedale Avenue

Issues and design elements considered include:
Accessibility; Maintenance; Crime; Vandalism; Safety; Education; Environment; Landscape; Lighting; Furniture; Community Information

The Kinnickinnic River Trail is a City of Milwaukee bike trail that will run both on and off street from the Hank Aaron State Trail at Pittsburgh Avenue to S. Sixth St and Rosedale Avenue
Trailheads will be located at Washington St east of S. 1st St; Maple St and S. Kinnickinnic Avenue; S. 1st St and E. Lincoln Ave; and S. 6th St and W. Rosedale Avenue.

For more information contact:

Mary Beth Driscoll
Executive Director
Groundwork Milwaukee
3015 S. Wentworth Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53207
414-405-3272
groundworkmb@gmail.com