Village Spillage

You may have noticed I haven't written in over a week.  I took my family to Sanibel Island to escape this ever-lasting Wisconsin winter.  Had a great time, and will consider spending a week down there every winter.   We had a "cold" day which brought an amusing moment.  Temps dipped to 45 with some wind, so they issued ..wait for it .. a "Wind Chill Advisory".   Sissies.

In any event, I was disappointed (not really) to miss the Silver Spring Visioning Session at the WFB library on Thursday.  However, I asked a few loyal readers to report back, if they went, and I'd post their reports.  One did today, so I am posting his report below:

This report comes from Dr. Gordon Lang: 

I received an email today from Heather Nill, a Whitefish Bay resident who is interested in the re-development of Silver Spring.

Nill attended a meeting Thursday with Aurora, Silver Spring businesses, and several Whitefish Bay officials, and reports.  I've attained permission to reprint her email here in the blog, to give it a wider distribution.

One note before the email.. she writes "While everyone agrees it is CRUCIAL to fill that spot (Talbot's), most agree we would 'prefer' to have retail in that location, or how about that restaurant?  Some don't want Aurora at all (as communicated in today's NOW). "

My blog entry was reprinted in the Thursday paper-edition of the NorthShoreNOW, and I assume "Some don't want Aurora at all (as communicated in today's NOW)" is supposed to be a summary of my position.  -- That would not be correct.  I want Aurora, right after 14 other restaurants and retail stores open.  I want Aurora to open a clinic in a spot that isn't a prime candidate for a true home run, like the dream of a restaurant/tavern/retail complex would be.   (Pipe dream, perhaps.)  -- In the end, the Aurora Clinic is an office building that does not depend on "foot traffic" .. using prime foot-traffic property for a business that doesn't need foot traffic is an opportunity, wasted.

On with the email.  I'm always pleased to present different sides of public opinion, and Nill's balances my hesitation with Aurora, with significant optimism. 

As always, feel free to comment below.  This is a great step towards a more informed Village.

This is the last installment of my candidate interviews for Whitefish Bay’s Village Board.  There are three candidates vying for two trustee positions on the board.  The top two vote-getters in the April election will serve a three year term.

DAVID FEE

I spoke to David Fee for a couple hours last week.   While Fee grew up in Brooklyn, NY, he’s spent the past 17 years in Whitefish Bay, and has served one term on the Village Board.  He ran unopposed three years ago, making this his first election with a challenger.

I asked Fee why he was running again.  He explained that he ran three years ago to represent the northern side of Whitefish Bay during the JCC expansion, but that you “get past that single issue pretty quickly. There are many more issues that starkly define the vision on how to manage our community. ”

Fee is pleased with a number of items he’s helped accomplish.  He represents the Board on the Shorewood/Whitefish Bay Public Health Board, and in this past term, the Board, working with the Northshore Board of Health, hired a sanitarian to execute food inspections and perform training on food safety issues in the North Shore.  Responding to his concerns for the tax-payer subsidy of this service, the communities voted to fund it primarily through the license fees, and to make it subject to efficacy audits to determine the cost effectiveness of annual and complaint based inspections.

Another item Fee was proud of, was the new rules for the Historic Preservation Commission.  The original draft allowed the unelected commission to designate a property as Historic without the approval of the homeowner.  Fee believed that over-stepped bounds and reduced homeowner rights, and obtained an amendment that dictates a homeowner must approve of the designation.

Fee believes the new rules concerning demolitions hit the mark as well, as he believes there is wisdom in the “organic replacement” of housing stock in the village.   “When renovations are managed through the Architectural Review Commission (ARC) to protect size and scale, demolition and renewal can add value to a block, and tax base to the community”, he said. 

We then turned to the issues surrounding Silver Spring.  “Silver Spring is a really disappointing commercial strip.  There are virtually no trees.  The way the area is framed is in a sorry state.”

Fee provided this quote:  “Though a village survey found support for multi-use development up to 4 stories (Johnson Bank building), I am concerned that such extensive development the length of the street would drastically change the image of Whitefish Bay.  I understand the CDA echoes text book planning to utilize a mixed used development with condos as a tool to enliven a commercial strip.  My concern is that with the limited space of Silver Spring, and the existing residential density WFB, such mixed use would have marginal impact on the night life of The Bay.  Given the significant number of un-leased apartments and office space in the new Bayshore Town Centre, and the below expected performance of virtually all the restaurants, I am very cautious on any joint development the Village would invest in through the eminent domain process.”

Fee pointed to fellow Board Member, Rita Cheng as an expert on how TIF monies should be used in redevelopment, and he summarized her repeated advice to the CDA and Board that “TIF money should go into infrastructure, like streetscaping, that benefits the whole community in the long term.”   While skeptical, he is open to using TIF dollars for individual projects that subsidize one developer “if there is a clear business plan that indicates potential merchants that would occupy the space,” Fee added.

We spoke at length about the Talbots/Famous Footwear spot, and his vote to deny the village the use of Eminent Domain to purchase the property and try to develop it in accordance with the CDA’s master plan. Fee is joined by Trustees Brennan, Berg, and Cheng, who are against this process.  In broad terms, Fee said he "will not vote for such action unless there is a solid business plan with identified financial partners."  He said prefers “to negotiate for the site on the open market, rather than use eminent domain to force a ‘fair market valuation’ on the property owner.”

He stated a number of times that he would keep an open mind about the Village working with developers for Silver Spring, “but you can’t chase it.  If there was a great business plan put forth, and a reason to believe it was a workable concept, I could see the village ponying up.   No such plan has been presented at this point.”   He also said he “had a philosophical problem with using eminent domain in a selective environment.  If the property was clearly blighted, sure, but in this case it was a heavy handed ploy, and the village doesn’t have a plan for the property.”

Fee believes that if the Village were to ever propose making large investments in Silver Spring, he would support putting them to a referendum, so the citizens could have a vote. 

Fee concluded with explaining how he loves Whitefish Bay.  “It’s a special place.  Development can’t be rushed, and the first rule is to do no harm.   Governmental action can have unintended consequences and do far greater damage beyond the problem that was being solved.” 

--------------------
I wish to thank David for taking the time for the interview. This concludes the candidate interview series. 

I’m pleased all the candidates made themselves available for this, and learned a great deal about the political environment of Whitefish Bay in this process.

In mid-March, I will write summary of how I see the issues, the race, and who I will be voting for, and why.

Be sure to read the interviews of the other candidates:

• Interview with Tom Fehring (Running for Trustee)
• Interview with Julie Siegel  (Running for Trustee) 
• Interview with Katie Pritchard  (Running Unopposed for Board President)

A year ago this week, I got a frantic call from my wife at lunchtime. She was in our basement and one of my gadgets was beeping. That gadget was this Explosive Gas / Carbon Monoxide detector from Kidde.

I got an email from our Village Manager that included a letter from Aurora Health Care asking that the public hearing for AHC inhabiting the old Talbots/Famous Footwear location be removed from the February 19th Plan Commission agenda.

Don't get too excited:

We look forward to bringing before the Plan Commission a more complete plan for a distinctive clinic that will offer important health care services close to home .. and contribute to a vibrant Silver Spring business district.  In the weeks ahead we will continue to reach out to village merchants, building owners, neighboring residents and others.  These conversations will help us craft the kind of project that village residents will embrace.

In other words .. AHC doesn't want to go into the Plan Commission half cocked.  They'll bring in consultants and lawyers and architects.  Probably a puppet show for any children in the audience.  All to convince us that a health clinic would be super duper.

I've received comments about how people perceive my reluctance for this Clinic, and want to clarify.  I'm not against having a health clinic on Silver Spring.  I'm not against Aurora.   However.  The Famous Footwear/Talbots spot is a huge opportunity.  HUGE.  It's the only large parcel currently completely available on Silver Spring. 

In baseball terms, Silver Spring needs a triple or a home run on that spot.  As I wrote a few weeks ago, any new business should be evaluated on the basis of several factors.  Uniqueness, Customer Count, Customer Spillover, Regional Reach, Night-time effect, and X-factor Enthusiasm.  The Aurora Health Clinic scores very low on that scale .. it's not awful, but it's about 15th on the list of things Silver Spring needs.

So if Aurora's big scheme is to try and make nice with the natives, dress up the building .. give us all a free MRI .. it's not going to change the fact that it's still a bad choice for a big opportunity.  Nothing personal, Aurora. 

I suppose they should get points for not just ramming it through, which they probably could.

Unfortunately, Whitefish Bay is stuck. There isn't a consensus on the Village Board to act aggressively act upon Silver Spring.  I assume this landlord is trying their best, but without a partnership with WFB, and yes, public TIF money, they are interested in any tenant who can pay the rent.   This means, the chance of getting that home run, is very small. 

2008 will be an interesting year for Silver Spring.   With the US and regional economy stuttering .. and, in theory, Silver Spring ripped up for streetscaping, further depressing business ..plus no aggressive moves by the Village to recruit business .. watch out for more store closures.

Who knows.  By 2009, Silver Spring may be so empty, we'll beg Aurora to come back.

Just got this email from Doug Weas:

I've decided to drop my effort to run for Village President. I learned over the last few weeks that I'm much more guarded of my personal space and time than I had thought. The commitment required to do this job properly is beyond what I'm able to commit at this time. I will be contacting Katie Pritchard to see if she can find a place for me on the CDA which will allow me to push for the kind of changes I think we need...

Maybe the blog interview pushed him over the edge! 

Well, that's a shame. It's always good to have two candidates for one position, as it makes both of them work harder to gain every vote.   There is no doubt that Katie Pritchard was a well known and formidable candidate. 

Honestly, I was not looking forward to writing an endorsement for that race.  Prichard has done very well in the past six years.  Weas would have brought an aggressiveness to Silver Spring's redevelopment that is badly needed.  Hopefully, he can do so through volunteering his time and talent to the CDA.

DOUG WEAS

Last week, I spoke to Doug Weas at length about the skills he brings to the table, why he’s running, and what he hopes to do.

Doug grew up in the Green Bay area and went to UWM, majoring in Mass Communications. He’s worked in journalism, construction management, public relations, and most currently, real estate development. His wife grew up in Whitefish Bay, and wanted to raise a family here. Weas has three boys, 8, 11, and 13, attending St. Monica's.

Weas and four others work for Weas Development. In short, as a real estate developer, Weas buys vacant land or buildings on the market, constructs or remodels the property, finds a tenant, then manages the building.

I asked Weas, a busy father of three, why he was running. "Because I can make a difference. We need to be much more aggressive to make Silver Spring a really wonderful retail environment, and right now, we're not doing that. I can use many of the things I understand best about real estate and marketing trends, and apply that to Silver Spring. I think the Village Board needs new ideas and new leadership. I know the kind of things I can accomplish, and know I can make a difference."

While Weas has not served on any official Whitefish Bay committees, he has advised our CDA on occasion, and as a real estate developer, has spoken in front of many municipal boards, giving him eye witness accounts of both good and bad governance.

Weas explained that, with the State of Wisconsin holding annual tax levy increases to 2% plus new development, "if we don't improve the Silver Spring business district, we can only survive so long as a village. Whitefish Bay is land locked, and must increase the value of, not only the business district, but also the residential sector, and make it easier for homeowners to increase the values of their own homes."

Weas suggested that the process of home renovation is challenging in the Village, and the system should be streamlined. He did not suggest allowing cheaper materials or construction methods, but was in favor of loosening the guidelines, creating a more efficient process, and to take an attitude that the Village should encourage residents to improve their homes, which grows the tax base.

"Silver Spring has a great base, a great presence. Whitefish Bay must market the district, and should use the tools that government provides, TIF districts and on rare occasion, Eminent Domain." Weas pointed to a recent "convention" Shorewood put together, where they brought the Village Manager, Board Members, businesses, and land developers together at Hubbard Park Lodge and asked a simple question: What can we do to entice you to move to Shorewood?

Whitefish Bay has "signature opportunities" on Silver Spring that need to be cultivated, Weas said. In order to get the sort of retail developments, the Village must partner with developers, providing TIF revenue to help create desirable properties, or it won't happen. Case in point, Weas suggested, was the proposal to create a retail / office space / condo development on the Famous Footwear/Talbot's property. The developer needed assistance, but TIF money was not provided. (The end result has been that the owner of that property has spoken to CVS and is in discussions with Aurora, two tenants that would be undesirable for Silver Spring's redevelopment. -Kevin)

Weas is in favor of creating a Business Improvement District (BID), however, ultimately believes the Village Board must drive the process of recruiting developers and business to Silver Spring.

My last question to Doug encompassed, of course, my pet issue: When you were growing up in Ashwaubenon, when did you Trick-or-Treat?

Answer: "October 31st, at night."

Enough said.

I wish to thank Doug for taking the time for the interview. I hope to speak to David Fee in the next week, and follow up with all the candidates as we approach the April election.

In the mean time, be sure to read the interviews of the other candidates:

As announced a few weeks ago, we have a race for Whitefish Bay Village Board President. Katie Pritchard is seeking her 3rd three-year term and is being challenged by Doug Weas.

While the NorthShoreNOW covered the Village Board races .. it dedicated about 3 sentences to each candidate. That’s where this blog comes in, as I will try to interview each of the five candidates running for the three spots on our Board of Trustees, and give them ample space to talk about the issues.  

KATHLEEN PRITCHARD

I sat down with Katie Pritchard and interviewed her for about an hour this Sunday.  To date, I’ve interviewed three other candidates, all new-comers to the Whitefish Bay political scene.  Pritchard is the first incumbent I’ve spoken to, and thus, the interview was vastly different.

We already know who Pritchard is, as she’s led the village for two terms, and has had a hand in every major decision for her 6 years in office.    We remember how, in 2002, she challenged James Gormley, who held the position for a dozen years.  The 2002 challenge was unusual, as Whitefish Bay had gone 55 years since an incumbent Village President had even been challenged (an amazing factoid.)   Pritchard was re-elected in 2005 unopposed, but this year, a challenger, Doug Weas,  has surfaced and Pritchard must defend her position.

The defense starts with commentary about the past 6 years.  I asked Pritchard for her accomplishments over this period, and in all honesty, was impressed with the drumbeat of items. 

She inherited a Village budget in deficit status, and has changed that to a surplus over 6 years.  Pritchard has been directly involved in creating the Village’s first Community Development Authority (CDA) and Historic Preservation Commission, as well as creating a Village Financing plan, and 5-year Capital Improvement plan where none existed before.  There are also new regulations about residential demolitions that were created this past term.  She is also proud of her effort to fill every Village commission with new volunteers on a regular basis.  (No small feat.)

While Pritchard is sensitive to Silver Spring ’s situation, she would like to point out the good changes that have occurred over 6 years.  The Silver Spring business district has increased in assessed value from $36 Million to $65M.  She explained that some businesses on The Drive have had their best years ever, and while there are vacancies, new businesses have entered the village in recent history, from the Balia Wellness Center, to Hounds Around Town, and Milwaukee’s Finest Guitars to name a few, and nearly every building strip on Silver Spring has taken advantage of the façade improvement program the Village funds. 

We spoke briefly about the status of the most recent story about Silver Spring and its redevelopment, concerning an Aurora Clinic moving in to the current Talbot’s/Famous Footwear location.  In October of last year, the Board had voted to initiate Eminent Domain unless the property owners submitted a proposal that fit the Community Development Authority's master plan for the business district.  Since none was submitted, I asked Pritchard what had happened.   “Eminent Domain needs 4 votes on the board.  We have 3,” Pritchard explained.  I also asked what the chances are that Aurora would win approval, and with a wink, she said “Well, Aurora is usually pretty successful with this kind of thing.”

Pritchard does believe the Talbot’s property is a “stronghold” and she would like to see a vibrant Silver Sprint business district, with multiple restaurants and residences for empty-nesters who could take advantage of the shopping and grocery offerings on the block.   She agrees that a Business Improvement District would be great, but it has been voted down (by the business owners) in the past.  "I believe that the most successful redevelopment efforts require a partnership between businesses and government," with business in the lead, not the Village Board. 

Finally, we did speak about what I had written, concerning her Bay Leaves column, where I’d suggested that there is a lack of information and communication in Whitefish Bay that should be addressed.  Pritchard defended her position, and listed her efforts to inform the Villagers, with quarterly Bay Leaves and monthly “Saturday Morning Coffee” with the Village President, which has been attended by as many as 45 people.  Pritchard believes it is the responsibility of the citizenry to be informed, and to seek out information on their own.

I wish to thank Katie for taking the time to talk with me.  I will have an interview with Doug Weas up tomorrow.

It's official.  Whitefish Bay has received a Conditional Use Permit for the Famous Footwear/Talbot's site by "Aurora Advanced Healthcare," presumably to create a "Clinic" on that property.

In an email to interested parties, Village Manager Jim Grassman has written that "it is important to recognize that the ability of the Village to control the use of property that is already zoned commercial is limited to the review of additional standards that are set forth in the Zoning Code."  

I think that means that the Zoning Code does not provide any element whereby the Plan Commission can deny it based on "Well, this really isn't what we'd like here."

There are a few elements that could provide wiggle room from the code:   "That the establishment .. will not be detrimental to ...  general welfare." or "That uses, values and enjoyment of other property in the neighborhood .. shall be in no foreseeable manner substantially impaired or diminished .. and is compatible with the use of adjacent properties and businesses."

Or maybe "That the establishment of the conditional use will not impede the normal and orderly development and improvement of the surrounding property for uses permitted in the district."

One could argue that a Health Clinic, instead of something more beneficial to Silver Spring's redevelopment could "impede the normal and orderly development.." of surrounding businesses.

Maybe.

Anyhow, this will all go down on 7:00pm on Tuesday, Feb. 19 at Village Hall during the Plan Commission hearing. Interested residents are able to appear to provide "formal input" into the decision. 

From a personal perspective, I would say that the Plan Commission should do everything in its power to interpret the Code to the advantage of what's in the best interest for the re-development of Silver Spring, a district that's been riddled with business closures due mainly to a poor mix of retail businesses.  An Aurora Health Clinic will not advance this important cause.

While the community talks about a variety of Silver Spring parcels that "could" be redeveloped, this spot is the ONLY one that's actually vacant and big enough to entertain property improvement that could substantially help our immediate need. 

Furthermore, the Village Board should continue the process they started in October, and proceed with Eminent Domain on that property.  It's a signature parcel and the village should control it to the optimal benefit of the district.

Ideas on how to stop this?  Comment below!  I know you're out there, reading this blog.  Add to the conversation.