“City politicians call Chicago a national model for how to involve the public in real estate development debates. But the view from the streets of the city’s neighborhoods is markedly different.
When a longtime homeowner tried to speak up at the only City Council hearing on a project in his Far North Side neighborhood, aldermen threatened to toss him from the room for trying to ask questions.”
This article in the Chicago Tribune is part 5 of the ongoing “Neighborhoods for Sale” series, and highlights similar problems to what’s happening in Milwaukee. It documents an insiders’, pay-to-play game in which favored developers, architects and lawyers get their way with zoning changes.
Sound familiar? Anyone in city of Milwaukee who is looking to battle a large development (think Prospect Ave or dorms) should read this article. Issues of traffic, parking, viewshed and sun blocking are all referenced, as are other Milwaukee problems, such as lack of notification of residents required by law, and political donations used to influence aldermen in their decisions.
Because of the influence of money on Alders, I fully support local campaign finance reform, including limiting donations to people who live within the district. Additionally, I think capping the total money that can be spent is necessary to avoid buying the vote by doing the most mailings. Let those who want to win, go out and knock on doors and talk to the residents. It shouldn’t be about raising money, unless, that is, you aren’t planning on representing your constituents.
21 Aug 2008 | 7:49 pm | Development, Representation, 3rd District | No comments yet - Add your comments
The UWM Foundation has finally released the names of proposed locations for UWM dorms (housing 500-700 freshmen and sophomores) and their developers.
Three locations are within the Milwaukee River Overlay District (MROD), and the location on Water St. is directly on the river, but outside the MROD. Four locations are in Riverwest.
The locations include:
- Prospect Mall and parking lot
- Northwest corner of E. Locust St. and N. Humboldt Blvd. (where the bar, “Tracks” is located)
- The undeveloped portion of the housing authority’s Holton Terrace at 2825 N. Holton St.
- Just west of intersection of N. Water St. and Humboldt Ave.
- 2628-60 N. Humboldt Blvd., east side of Humboldt south of Center St. (MROD)
- Hometown site, abutting the Milwaukee River corridor at E. North Ave. (MROD)
- 1744 N. Farwell Ave.
- 1300 E. Locust St. - Heinemann’s Commissary (MROD)
You can find the full article here along with the names of the developers. You can find a map of the locations here.
Note: It will be interesting to see if UWM completes a second dorm on publicly owned land (the Holton St. location is such), and what kind of political acrobatics will lubricate that coupling. RiverView Dorms were built on County-owned parkland protected by the National Park Service, and it was orchestrated by a developer-driven land swap. What the public got in return for the taking of that land was a short section of trail (for which the public already had an easement) and a small piece of land in Oak Creek. As our economy goes down the toilet, governmental bodies are going to be more and more tempted to sell land and other assets to developers and others who are able to strike bargain deals in desperate times. Who will hold them accountable?
Keep your eye on another piece of publicly owned land (including public housing) which is on the river and may soon be on the developers’ chopping block: Riverview Housing on Kane St., the same block that Julilly Kohler is building her upscale green development. Coincidence?
4 Aug 2008 | 12:08 pm | Development, 3rd District | Read 2 comments - Add your comments
Tuesday, July 29
7:00 pm
First public meeting
Urban Ecology Center
1500 E. Park Pl
(parking will be at a premium. please walk, bike or carpool.)
Where will UWM’s new dorms be?
- On the Milwaukee River?
- East Side?
- Brady St. area?
- Riverwest?
- Prospect Mall?
- Maryland Ave. School?
- Downtown?
- Capitol Drive?
UWM’s RFP (Request for Proposals) specified housing for 500-700 lower division students (RiverView Dorms house ~475 students).Will UWM show its commitment to our city and its residents? Is UWM using the UWM Foundation so they can bypass public process? How will the Dorms be designed? Will they be LEED certified? Will the Milwaukee River Overlay District be respected? Will the size of dorms be manageable? Is re-use of existing buildings being considered?
Come and find out more!
This is a resident-driven meeting. Alderman Nik Kovac will be attending to hear your concerns and answer questions.
We want a strong and healthy UWM, which will improve the health and vitality of our neighborhoods. Come hear the discussion and share your ideas about size, environmental impact, accountability, etc., with your neighbors and Alderman Nik Kovac.
On the agenda:
- Overview of process and how the community can get involved
- History/Impact of RiverView dorms
- Review of the Milwaukee River Overlay District
- Are there alternative locations?
- Feedback from residents (you!) on where or how to build the dorms
Tuesday, July 29
7:00 pm
UWM Dorms in our neighborhoods
First public meeting
Urban Ecology Center
1500 E. Park Pl
Sponsored by: Brady St. Area Assn., Cambridge Woods Neighborhood Assn., East Village Assn., Greenwich Village Neighborhood Assn., Mariners Neighborhood Assn., Murray Hill Neighborhood Assn., Prospect Ave. Assn., Riverside Park Neighborhood Assn., Riverwest Neighborhood Assn., Water Tower Landmark Trust and Milwaukee River Neighbors
21 Jul 2008 | 6:44 pm | Development, 3rd District | No comments yet - Add your comments
The Milwaukee River has become a huge issue in this race, and almost all the candidates talk about it.
Mandel Group has been floating the idea of more dorms, retail, and hotel space on the river at the Hometown site at North Ave.
The Milwaukee River Work Group (MRWG), is pushing for protections of the river’s banks, bluffs, water quality and viewshed.
If you want a basic overview of the work of the MRWG, check out my response below to the question in the Riverwest Currents on dealing with the Hometown Site owned by Mandel.
Public Trust, Zoning and Development
Cities need development to thrive—not just housing, but economic, organizational, environmental and cultural development in balance. Too much development in one area causes taxes to skyrocket. Too little foreordains blight. Cities and local governments must foster a deeper sense of “public trust” in order to be effective. Zoning, as a public asset, is part of that trust. If we want sustainable development, then we can’t allow ourselves to be held hostage to developers or to equate development merely with fast-buck condo/dorm/hotel building. In this vein, I support development that goes hand in hand with public trust. Continue reading ‘The Milwaukee River and upcoming development (more dorms?)’
17 Feb 2008 | 9:35 am | Water, Development, Environmental Sustainability, 3rd District | No comments yet - Add your comments
Let’s just say that Milwaukee has some overzealous developers. Especially in the 3rd District.
I’m proud to be the candidate these developers worry about. They know I can’t be bought off. (Please see what kind of development I will work for here.)
Watch the video on this page
or read the story:
The Chicago Tribune did an investigation of development and zoning in Chicago, and found an amazing 5,700 zoning changes approved by the City Council over the last 10 years, with only 15 zoning requests denied. ½ of them were concentrated in 1/5 of the city.
“It’s a city where the council rubber stamps aldermen’s wishes.”
Developers “pay for play,” getting zoning variances by giving campaign contributions, like developer Cornel Moldoveanu,* who donated $250 to the campaign fund for Ald. Rey Colon* after Colon introduced an ordinance to change the zoning on a property Moldoveanu developed. Millions of dollars in donations to aldermen have “remade the face of neighborhoods, changing the feel of the streets where people live and work.”
Money trumps the public planning process, and zoning changes are decided long before being discussed publicly.
Read the whole article.
* Feel free to comment on Milwaukee developers who have donated to Alderman’s campaign accounts.
27 Jan 2008 | 9:36 pm | Development, 3rd District | No comments yet - Add your comments
