Urban Milwaukee’s Upcoming Events & Meetings Calendar should help you keep up to date on important events effecting our neighborhoods, the City of Milwaukee, and our region.

December 14, 2009

Community & Economic Development Committee Meeting

December 14, 2009 9:00 am

The Community and Economic Development Committee hears matters relating to community development, block grants, job development, business improvement districts, city public relations, industrial land banks and revenue bonds, emerging business enterprises, recreation, cultural arts and the library system.

The Community and Economic Development Committee meetings start at 9:00 a.m. and are held in the Room 301-B, [...]

City Plan Commission Meeting

December 14, 2009 1:30 pm

The City Plan Commission (CPC) is the City’s official planning body established under State statute and is responsible for master planning activities. The CPC advises the Common Council on a variety of land development issues including zoning map changes, revisions in the zoning ordinance, subdivision approvals, business improvement districts, street and alley vacations, public land [...]

Historic Preservation Commission Meeting

December 14, 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 [...]

December 15, 2009

Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development Committee Meeting

December 15, 2009 9:00 am

The Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee reviews issues relating to city development, zoning, historic preservation, incremental tax financing, building codes and housing projects.

The Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee meetings start at 9:00 a.m. and are held in the Room 301-B, City Hall, unless otherwise noted.[...]

Milwaukee County: Committee on Economic and Community Development Special Meeting

December 15, 2009 10:00 am

The Milwaukee County Economic & Community Development oversees the administration of federal, state and local housing programs in the county, including the Urban Community Development Block Grant Program. Matters pertaining to economic development of Milwaukee County, including the best disposition of county properties, are decided by this Committee. It also makes decisions on the Research [...]

December 18, 2009

MAM After Dark: A Very Velvet Holiday

December 18, 2009 5:00 pm

HISTORIC MILWAUKEE MEET-UP! 5:00PM
Join Historic Milwaukee’s Executive Director, Anna-Marie Opgenorth, in the Lubar Auditorium for a talk for a talk on visual literacy, historical narrative, and the role each plays in understanding urban design and identity. Get a chance to voice your opinions on how Historic Milwaukee can best serve the community.[...]

A driver pulls his Ford 150 off at an exit on I-94, and proceeds to cut across the parking lot of the newest sprawling mall development in Wisconsin.  He then takes two spots in the Flingers parking lot, far enough from other cars to avoid door dings, but more importantly aimed perfectly for a quick exit.  At Flingers he orders extreme fajitas, throws down a few bombs, be it the Irish car bomb, Jaeger bomb, cherry bomb, and a couple that he’s convinced the bartender just made up.  He climbs back in his vehicle only to drive across the sea of parking to his next destination, Chotchkie’s.  Here it is for a brew or two, one quick shot of Jameson and back on to the freeway.

Thankfully, Pabst Farms will also have the new Aurora Medical Center conveniently located just off I-94.

In the most recent Wisconsin state budget, Oconomowoc was granted the ability to issue an additional eight liquor licenses.  The purpose of these licenses are to allow Pabst Farms Town Centre to recruit chain restaurants to the project.  Typically restaurants that include full bars such as T.G.I. Friday’s, Applebee’s, Chili’s, and who knows maybe even a Hooters.  Yes, these aren’t the places where most people go to tie one on, but time and time again we see liquor licenses located where people will most certainly have to drive to the establishment, and then we wonder why people drive drunk.

Again, it is not to say people can’t drink, or restaurants shouldn’t serve, or we shouldn’t have “tougher” drunk driving laws, but that we need to understand the implication of locating restaurants with full bars within a sea of parking, right off the freeway, with no hope of ever have transit access.  It’s quite simple really, when you design for the automobile, people drive.

Cambridge Commons

Cambridge Commons

Cambridge Commons

Cambridge Commons

Jackson Square Apartments

The Milwaukee County Economic & Community Development oversees the administration of federal, state and local housing programs in the county, including the Urban Community Development Block Grant Program. Matters pertaining to economic development of Milwaukee County, including the best disposition of county properties, are decided by this Committee. It also makes decisions on the Research Park and the Airport Business Park.

This special meeting will meet at 10:00 A.M. in room 203-R of the Milwaukee County Courthouse.

Agenda

The Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee reviews issues relating to city development, zoning, historic preservation, incremental tax financing, building codes and housing projects.

The Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee meetings start at 9:00 a.m. and are held in the Room 301-B, City Hall, unless otherwise noted.

Agenda

The Community and Economic Development Committee hears matters relating to community development, block grants, job development, business improvement districts, city public relations, industrial land banks and revenue bonds, emerging business enterprises, recreation, cultural arts and the library system.

The Community and Economic Development Committee meetings start at 9:00 a.m. and are held in the Room 301-B, City Hall, unless otherwise noted.

Agenda

The City Plan Commission (CPC) is the City’s official planning body established under State statute and is responsible for master planning activities. The CPC advises the Common Council on a variety of land development issues including zoning map changes, revisions in the zoning ordinance, subdivision approvals, business improvement districts, street and alley vacations, public land disposition and acquisition, new streets and the approval of development plans in certain overlay districts.

City Plan Commission (CPC) meetings are held in the First Floor Boardroom at the Department of City Development, 809 North Broadway, unless otherwise noted.

CPC Agenda 12/14/2009

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.

HPC Agenda 12/14/2009

For over a year business owners, property owners, and residents in Walker’s Point have worked to have S. 2nd Street rebuilt with people in mind.  The plan, as UrbanMilwaukee.com has covered in past, includes narrowing the street from 58 feet to 50 feet, removing travel lanes, and adding bike lanes, street trees, and new lighting with the goal of creating a street conducive to multiple modes of transportation, be it walking, biking, or driving.  At the December 9th Public Works Committee meeting at City Hall, the plan was up for approval.

Department of City Development Commissioner, Rocky Marcoux, appeared before the committee to lend his support for the project saying, “we believe very strongly that this is the right way to go.”   Alderman Wade gave his support saying “I think this is a great, grand idea.”  When referring to earlier concerns that this change might lead to increased congestion, he added “I hope we have traffic problems,” because as he explained traffic problems or congestion, generally indicates business activity on a street.   Representing the neighborhood Alderman Witkowiak gave his support for the project and explained that S. 2nd Street “has all the bones to be a destination street.”

MMSD executive director Kevin Shafer spoke in strong support of the project, noting that MMSD has numerous employees that commute by bike to their location on S. 2nd Street daily, and went so far as to say that he wanted to “compliment the city on their design in this effort.”  He added that “It’s good for the environment, the economy and the social values of the region.”  Finally, he pointed out that projects such as this one can actually help MMSD “reduce the districts costs.”

Many property owners and stakeholders appeared and spoke in support of the project, citing improved aesthetics, environmental considerations, and the value they will receive for their tax payer dollars.  Ann Pieper, of Pieper Properties, summed it up well saying, “I believe it is the best use of our tax-payer dollars.”

Joe Sanfellipo, who was representing Walker’s Point Mobil and American United Taxi Cab, spoke in opposition to the project and questioned the traffic studies, but his most telling statement was when he said, “I’m the only person here speaking against the project.”

The street reconstruction was approved, with only Alderman Dudzik voting in opposition, it will now go before the full Common Council on December 22nd.